Michaela Mabinty DePrince, the inspirational ballerina who was orphaned in Sierra Leone before being adopted by a New Jersey couple and soaring to the top of the dance world, has died at the age of 29.
Her sister, Mia DePrince, announced the death, which comes just days after the death of their adoptive mother, Elaine “Mamma E” DePrince.
“I am truly in a state of shock and deep sadness. My beautiful sister is no longer here. 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. She would choreograph, and I was the composer and conductor,” she said. “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.”
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No cause of death was provided.
Ballet dancer Michaela DePrince poses on July 12, 2012, in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Gallo ImagesShe attended the American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, became a principal dancer at the Dance Theatre of Harlem and then danced with the Dutch National Ballet before joining the Boston Ballet in 2021.
At just 16 years old, Michaela appeared as one of the main dancers in the documentary First Position featuring students vying for a spot at an elite ballet school and then at 17 was featured on Dancing With the Stars.
Michaela DePrince and Ade Chike Torbert on Dancing With the Stars.
Adam TaylorShe would go on to appear in Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” music video.
Michaela also had a big role in Brandi Carlile’s music video for her song “The Joke.”
She also wrote a memoir called Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina as well as a children’s book, Ballerina Dreams, to inspire the next generation of dancers.
Ballet icon Misty Copeland, who became the first African American woman to be named principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre in 2015, said she was “devastated by this news.”
In her 2021 book Black Ballerinas, Copeland, 42, recalled taking the young dancer under her wing at ABT’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School.
“She was a prodigious talent and the first darker-skinned dancer I witnessed come through the program,” Copeland wrote. “Colorism is without a doubt an issue in the professional ballet world, and her vitiligo differentiated her aesthetic even further.”
On Michaela’s official social media pages, a spokesperson described her short life as one that “was one defined by grace, purpose, and strength,” and someone whose artistry “touched countless hearts and whose spirit inspired many, leaving an indelible mark on the world of ballet, and beyond.”
“DePrince was also a dedicated humanitarian, advocating for children affected by conflict and violence. She served as an Ambassador for War Child Holland and hosted her gala, Dare to Dream, dedicated to promoting the well-being and mental health of children living in war zones,” the spokesperson said.
The Boston Ballet also remembered DePrince.
“We’re sending our love and support to the family of Michaela Mabinty DePrince at this time of loss,” the ballet said, dedicating an Instagram post to her memory. “We were so fortunate to know Mabinty; she was a beautiful person, a wonderful dancer, and she will be greatly missed by us all.”
