Michaela DePrince, who went from orphan to ballerina, dies at 29

Michaela DePrince, who went from orphan to ballerina, dies at 29

By Danielle Broadway

Sierra Leonean ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince, who starred in TV show "Dancing with the Stars" and Beyonce's "Lemonade" music video album, died on Friday at the age of 29, her family said.

The news of her death was announced on her personal Instagram page and then confirmed by her family in a joint statement on Facebook.

No cause of death was given.

“It is with profound sadness we announce the sudden passing of our beautiful sister, Michaela Mabinty DePrince. Michaela touched so many lives across the world, including ours. She was an unforgettable inspiration to everyone who knew her or heard her story,” her family said in its statement.

Several members of the ballet community mourned DePrince, including American ballerina Misty Copeland who posted on social media a video of DePrince dancing along with an excerpt about DePrince from Copeland’s book called “Black Ballerinas.”

“Despite being told the 'world wasn’t ready for Black ballerinas' or that 'Black ballerinas weren’t worth investing in,' she remained determined, focused, and began making big strides,” Copeland wrote.

DePrince was born as Mabinty Bangura in Kenema, Sierra Leone on January 6, 1995 and was brought to an orphanage at the age of three by her uncle during the civil war.

In her 2014 book “Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina,” she recounted how she was isolated from the other children due to vitiligo, a skin pigmentation condition, and how she suffered from malnourishment.

She was adopted in 1999 at the age of four by New Jersey couple Elaine and Charles DePrince, who enrolled her in ballet classes. Aged 14, DePrince was awarded a scholarship to attend the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School to study ballet.

She rose to fame after starring in the documentary “First Position" in 2011, and performed across the globe, joining the acclaimed Boston Ballet as a second soloist while also serving as a motivational speaker.