Categories: Trending now

Michaela DePrince, a Sierra Leonean American ballerina for Boston ballet, dies at 29

2024-09-14 23:10:03

LOS ANGELES — Sierra Leonean ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince, who starred in TV show “Dancing with the Stars” and Beyonce’s “Lemonade” music video album, died on Friday at the age of 29, her family said.

The news of her death was announced on her personal Instagram page and then confirmed by her family in a joint statement on Facebook.

No cause of death was given.

“It is with profound sadness we announce the sudden passing of our beautiful sister, Michaela Mabinty DePrince. Michaela touched so many lives across the world, including ours. She was an unforgettable inspiration to everyone who knew her or heard her story,” her family said in its statement.

Several members of the ballet community mourned DePrince, including American ballerina Misty Copeland who posted on social media a video of DePrince dancing along with an excerpt about DePrince from Copeland’s book called “Black Ballerinas.”

“Despite being told the ‘world wasn’t ready for Black ballerinas’ or that ‘Black ballerinas weren’t worth investing in,’ she remained determined, focused, and began making big strides,” Copeland wrote.

DePrince was born as Mabinty Bangura in Kenema, Sierra Leone on January 6, 1995 and was brought to an orphanage at the age of three by her uncle during the civil war.

In her 2014 book “Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina,” she recounted how she was isolated from the other children due to vitiligo, a skin pigmentation condition, and how she suffered from malnourishment.

She was adopted in 1999 at the age of four by New Jersey couple Elaine and Charles DePrince, who enrolled her in ballet classes. Aged 14, DePrince was awarded a scholarship to attend the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School to study ballet.

She rose to fame after starring in the documentary “First Position” in 2011, and performed across the globe, joining the acclaimed Boston Ballet as a second soloist while also serving as a motivational speaker.


News Today

Share
Published by
News Today

Recent Posts

Kareena Kapoor’s Next Untitled Film With Meghna Gulzar Gets Prithviraj Sukumaran On Board

Kareena Kapoor is working with Raazi director Meghna Gulzar for her next film. The project,…

17 hours ago

Purdue basketball freshman Daniel Jacobsen injured vs Northern Kentucky

2024-11-09 15:00:03 WEST LAFAYETTE -- Daniel Jacobsen's second game in Purdue basketball's starting lineup lasted…

17 hours ago

Rashida Jones honors dad Quincy Jones with heartfelt tribute: ‘He was love’

2024-11-09 14:50:03 Rashida Jones is remembering her late father, famed music producer Quincy Jones, in…

17 hours ago

Nosferatu Screening at Apollo Theatre Shows Student Interest in Experimental Cinema – The Oberlin Review

2024-11-09 14:40:03 A silent German expressionist film about vampires accompanied by Radiohead’s music — what…

17 hours ago

What Are Adaptogens? Find Out How These 3 Herbs May Help You Tackle Stress Head-On

Let's face it - life can be downright stressful! With everything moving at breakneck speed,…

17 hours ago

The new Mac Mini takes a small step towards upgradeable storage

Apple’s redesigned Mac Mini M4 has ditched the previous M2 machine’s SSD that was soldered…

17 hours ago