At the age of 29, renowned ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince, who shared the stage with Beyoncé and was widely regarded as a trailblazer, passed away.
Her death was revealed on her personal Instagram page by a representative.
Her family also released a statement praising her as a “unforgettable inspiration to everyone who knew her or heard her story”.
Her relatives described her passing as “sudden” and stated, “Michaela touched so many lives across the world, including ours.”
It is unknown what caused the death.
From living as an orphan in a war-torn Sierra Leone to winning multiple awards in the realm of international dance, DePrince has accomplished a tremendous journey.
Numerous people in the ballet community have also left tributes.
At the age of three, DePrince—who was born Mabinty Bangura in Kenema, Sierra Leone in 1995—was placed in an orphanage following the deaths of her parents during the civil war.
She has previously mentioned how, due to her vitiligo, she was viewed as a “devil’s child” in the orphanage.
But when she was four years old, an American couple adopted her, and they relocated to New Jersey. Her adoptive mother registered her in classes as soon as she became fixated on ballet.
Following her high school graduation, she became well-known and created history by becoming the Dance Theatre of Harlem’s youngest principal dancer.
Throughout the world, DePrince has given performances, such as one in Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” music video album.
She debuted on the television program Dancing with the Stars at the age of seventeen and joined the esteemed Boston Ballet in 2021 as a second soloist.
