Ballerina Michaela DePrince passes away at 29

Michaela DePrince, a renowned ballerina and humanitarian, has passed away at the age of 29, her spokesperson confirmed on Instagram. Born Mabinty Bangura in Sierra Leone, DePrince grew up in an orphanage, where she was mistreated due to her skin condition, vitiligo. Her dream of becoming a ballerina was sparked when she saw a magazine image of an American dancer. After fleeing the violence in Sierra Leone, she was adopted by a family in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and moved to the U.S. at the age of four.

Despite facing challenges, including racial discrimination in ballet, DePrince pursued her passion. She trained at the Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia and faced obstacles like being told America “wasn’t ready for a Black girl ballerina.” Nevertheless, DePrince thrived, becoming the youngest principal dancer at the Dance Theatre of Harlem and later joining the Dutch National Ballet, where she gained international recognition.

She starred in the 2016 musical film “Lemonade” by Beyoncé and joined the Boston Ballet as a second soloist in 2021. In addition to her dance career, DePrince advocated for children affected by conflict as an ambassador for War Child Holland.

Her family has not yet shared details about her cause of death or memorial services.

Music by Yevhen Onoychenko from Pixabay