Trailblazing ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince has passed away at the age of 29

 Michaela Mabinty DePrince, a trailblazer and inspiration in the ballet world, has passed away at the age of 29. The announcement was made by a spokesperson on her Instagram page on Friday. The cause of death has not yet been reported.

Michaela Mabinty DePrince, a trailblazer and inspiration in the ballet world, has passed away at 29, as announced on her Instagram page on Friday. The cause of death has not yet been reported.

The Instagram tribute described DePrince’s life as one defined by “grace, purpose, and strength,” highlighting her unwavering commitment to her art, her humanitarian efforts, and her courage in overcoming immense challenges. The message noted that DePrince was a beacon of hope, demonstrating that beauty and greatness can emerge from even the darkest circumstances.

Following the announcement, DePrince's family released a heartfelt statement. Her sister, Mia DePrince, expressed deep shock and sadness, recalling their early days in Africa. “From the very beginning of our story back in Africa, sleeping on a shared mat in the orphanage, Michaela (Mabinty) and I used to make up our own musical theater plays and act them out. We created our own ballets … When we got adopted, our parents quickly poured into our dreams and arose the beautiful, gracefully strong ballerina that so many of you knew her as today. She was an inspiration.”

Born Mabinty Bangura in Sierra Leone, DePrince was sent to an orphanage at the age of three after the death of her parents during the civil war. There, she endured mistreatment and malnourishment, as she revealed in a 2012 interview with the Associated Press. Despite these hardships, including being treated poorly due to her vitiligo and being ranked as number 27, DePrince's remarkable journey to becoming a celebrated ballerina serves as a powerful testament to her resilience and talent.

Michaela Mabinty DePrince’s journey from war-torn Sierra Leone to becoming a renowned ballerina was marked by remarkable resilience and talent. After receiving word that the orphanage where she lived was to be bombed, DePrince walked miles shoeless to reach a refugee camp. Her adoptive mother, who met Michaela and her sisters in Ghana in 1999 and adopted them, recalled that Michaela arrived in the U.S. at the age of four, suffering from tonsillitis, fever, mononucleosis, and swollen joints due to her traumatic experiences.

DePrince's passion for ballet began in Sierra Leone when she saw a photograph of a ballerina. Despite starting ballet training at the age of five, she faced significant challenges. At eight, she was told that the U.S. was not ready for a Black ballerina, even though she had been cast as Marie in The Nutcracker. At nine, a teacher told her adoptive mother that investing in a Black girl ballerina was not worthwhile.

Undeterred, DePrince went on to attend the prestigious Rock School for Dance Education. At 17, she gained attention from the documentary First Position, which followed dancers preparing for the Youth America Grand Prix. She received a scholarship to study at the American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of Ballet and, after graduating from high school, joined the Dance Theatre of Harlem as its youngest principal dancer.

In 2012, DePrince made her professional debut in South Africa and subsequently joined the Dutch National Ballet’s junior company. Her appearance in Beyoncé’s Lemonade brought her further recognition, as she danced in an old-fashioned tutu and headpiece. In 2021, she joined the Boston Ballet as a second soloist and performed the lead role in the ballet film Coppélia.