Michaela DePrince, Ballerina and Humanitarian, Dies at 29

DePrince – born Mabinti Bangura – grew up as an orphan in Sierra Leone, Africa. While at the orphanage, DePrince saw a photo from a magazine that showed an American ballet dancer.

“I just remember she was really, really happy,” DePrince told The Associated Press in 2012.

While at the orphanage, DePrince said he struggled through abuse, malnutrition and the skin disorder vitiligo.

“I lost both my parents, so I was there (the orphanage) for about a year and I wasn't treated very well because I had vitiligo,” he told The Associated Press in 2012. “We were ranked as numbers and numbers. 27 was the least favorite and that was my number, so I got the least amount of food, the least amount of clothes and what not.”

De Prince told The Associated Press that he walked for miles without shoes to reach the refugee camp after receiving word that his orphanage would be bombed. She, along with two other girls, was then adopted by a couple in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He then moved to the United States at the age of 4.

“They came to me sick and battle-scarred,” his adoptive mother told The Associated Press in 2012. “Michaela came down with the worst case of tonsillitis, fever, mononucleosis and swollen joints.”

DePrince said his time at the orphanage influenced him over the years. However, remembering how much she was inspired by ballerina images in magazines, she soon found comfort and inspiration through dancing.

DePrince began training in various competitions before attending the Rock School for Dance Education, a prestigious ballet school located in Philadelphia.

During her dance journey, De Prince said she faced racial discrimination. When she was rehearsing for “The Nutcracker” at age 8, she was told, “I'm sorry, you can't do it. America is not ready for a black girl ballerina,” according to the Associated Press.

She also said that when she was 9, a teacher told her mother, “I don't like paying black dancers because they're big and have big breasts and big hips.”

But DePrince was undeterred and continued to rise in the world of ballet. At the age of 17, she was featured in a documentary film and starred in the TV series “Dancing with the Stars”. She graduated from high school and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of American Ballet Theater and worked at the Dance Theater of Harlem where she was the youngest principal dancer in the theater's history.

She also performed her first professional Full Ballet in South Africa in July 2012.

In 2013, he joined the Junior Company of the Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam and in 2014 joined the Dutch National Ballet as a student. She continues to rise through the ranks and break new ground as she inspires a generation of black and brown girls.

Her celebrity continued to grow when she starred in Beyoncé's 2016 musical film “Lemonade.” Pop superstar Madonna was also in talks to direct a biopic based on DePrince's memoir in 2018.

DePrince later joined Boston Ballet as second soloist in 2021 and danced the title role in the 2021 ballet film “Copelia”.

Besides dancing, DePrince was also a humanitarian who advocated for children affected by conflict and violence. She also served as an ambassador for War Child Holland, an independent non-governmental organization that works to ensure children have access to protection, education and psychosocial support.

DePrince's family and friends have not yet released information on the cause of death or memorial service.

“Her life was defined by grace, purpose and strength. Her unwavering commitment to her art, her humanitarian endeavors and her courage to overcome unimaginable challenges will forever inspire us,” a spokesperson wrote on her Instagram page. “He was a beacon of hope for many, showing that no matter the obstacles, beauty and greatness can rise from the darkness of space.”