Michaela Mabinty DePrince, a renowned ballet dancer who overcame the challenges of her early life in a Sierra Leone orphanage to perform on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, has died at the age of 29. Her family announced her passing in a statement on Friday, expressing their grief and admiration for her life and accomplishments. No cause of death was provided.
“Michaela touched so many lives across the world, including ours. She was an unforgettable inspiration to everyone who knew her or heard her story,” the family said in the statement. “From her early life in war-torn Africa to stages and screens across the world, she achieved her dreams and so much more.”
DePrince, who was born during Sierra Leone’s brutal civil war, was orphaned at a young age. She suffered from vitiligo, a skin pigmentation disorder, which led her to be labeled “the devil’s child” at the orphanage. Despite facing significant hardships, her fortunes changed when she was adopted by an American couple. By age 17, she had appeared in a documentary film and on Dancing With the Stars.
DePrince’s love for ballet was ignited when she discovered a picture of a ballerina that had blown against the gate of her orphanage. “All I remember is she looked really, really happy,” DePrince said in a 2012 interview. “I wished to become this exact person.”
Her determination led her to train at the American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. She went on to perform with the Dance Theatre of Harlem, the Dutch National Ballet, and the Boston Ballet, which she joined in 2021.
“Michaela was a beautiful person, a wonderful dancer, and she will be greatly missed by us all,” the Boston Ballet said in a statement.
In addition to her career, DePrince was a source of inspiration for young Black dancers and others. Her memoir, Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina, and her children’s book Ballerina Dreams chronicled her remarkable journey from war-torn Sierra Leone to the world stage.
DePrince is survived by five sisters and two brothers. The family requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to War Child, an organization DePrince was deeply involved with as a War Child Ambassador.
“This work meant the world to her, and your donations will directly help other children who grew up in an environment of armed conflict,” the family said.
