Michaela Mabinty DePrince, a pioneering figure and inspiration to many in the world of ballet, has died at the age of 29, according to an announcement posted on her Instagram page on Friday. The cause of death has not yet been disclosed.
“Her life was one defined by grace, purpose, and strength,” the post read. “Her unwavering commitment to her art, her humanitarian efforts, and her courage in overcoming unimaginable challenges will forever inspire us. She stood as a beacon of hope, showing that no matter the obstacles, beauty and greatness can rise from the darkest of places.”
DePrince’s family expressed their heartbreak in a statement following the news of her passing.
“I am truly in a state of shock and deep sadness. My beautiful sister is no longer here,” wrote Mia DePrince. “From our early days in Africa, sleeping on a shared mat in the orphanage, Michaela (Mabinty) and I would create our own ballets and act them out. When we were adopted, our parents nurtured those dreams, leading to the emergence of the graceful, strong ballerina that so many knew her as. She was an inspiration.”
Born Mabinty Bangura in Sierra Leone, DePrince was orphaned at age three after losing both of her parents in the country’s civil war. She faced mistreatment and malnutrition at the orphanage due to her vitiligo, a condition that left her with patches of lighter skin. “We were ranked by numbers, and number 27 was the least favorite — that was my number,” DePrince recalled in a 2012 interview with the Associated Press. “I got the least amount of food, the least amount of clothes.”
After the orphanage was threatened by violence, DePrince walked barefoot for miles to a refugee camp. In 1999, she and her sister Mia were adopted by an American family. Michaela, who was four at the time, moved to the United States, where she overcame illness and trauma.
Her passion for ballet was sparked as a child in Sierra Leone after she found a photo of a ballerina. She began her formal training at the age of five, but faced significant challenges due to her race. At eight, after being cast in The Nutcracker, she was told that America wasn’t ready for a Black ballerina. At nine, a teacher remarked to her mother that Black girls weren’t worth investing in.
Undeterred, DePrince attended the prestigious Rock School for Dance Education. At 17, she was featured in the documentary First Position, which followed young dancers preparing for the Youth America Grand Prix. She earned a scholarship to the American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of Ballet. Later, she became the youngest principal dancer at the Dance Theatre of Harlem.
In 2012, DePrince performed her first professional full ballet in South Africa. The following year, she joined the junior company of the Dutch National Ballet, eventually dancing with the main company. Many recognized her for her appearance in Beyoncé’s Lemonade in 2016, where she danced in a vintage tutu and headpiece. In 2021, she joined the Boston Ballet as a second soloist and took on a leading role in the ballet film Coppélia.
Throughout her career, DePrince spoke candidly about the racism and xenophobia she faced. She credited Black dancers like Lauren Anderson, Heidi Cruz, and Misty Copeland for inspiring her, even as she recognized the limited representation in ballet. “What I always try to think about is spreading more poppies in a field of daffodils, to have more Black and brown dancers,” she said.
Despite her professional achievements, DePrince never forgot her difficult childhood. A passionate humanitarian, she dreamed of opening a school for dance and the arts in Sierra Leone. “The arts can change you as a person. Dancing helped me feel special, like I wasn’t the ‘devil’s child,’” she told The Guardian in 2015. “Those kids won’t have the same opportunities I had, and I don’t think they deserve that.”
In her memory, DePrince’s family has asked for donations to War Child, an organization she deeply cared about. “This work meant the world to her, and your donations will directly help other children who grew up in environments of armed conflict,” her family wrote.
Michaela DePrince’s legacy, both on and off the stage, will continue to inspire generations to come.