Michaela DePrince, a rare black prima ballerina of this caliber, orphaned by the civil war in Sierra Leone and adopted by a family in the United States, has died at the age of 29, it was announced on Instagram Friday.
“It is with heavy hearts that we learn of the passing of superstar ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince, whose artistry touched countless hearts and whose spirit inspired so many, leaving an indelible mark on the world of ballet and beyond,” reads the artist’s account, signed “team MDP” with a photo of the young woman and her age.
The Boston Ballet, a historic city in New England on the northeast coast of the United States, also shared on Instagram its “love and support to the family of Michaela Mabinty DePrince (…) a beautiful person, a wonderful dancer and who will be missed by all.”
DePrince “made history as the youngest principal dancer at Dance Theatre of Harlem (in New York), before moving to the Netherlands to dance with the Dutch National Ballet, then boosting her career with the Boston Ballet by returning to the United States where her performances continued to captivate audiences.”
The young woman was the subject of a documentary, “The Dance Contest” by Bess Kargman, released in 2012.
In March 2018, American megastar Madonna announced that she was making a feature film based on Michaela DePrince’s story. The film, which never saw the light of day, was to be adapted from the autobiographical book “Taking Flight”, published in 2014.
Orphaned by the civil war in Sierra Leone (1991-2002), abandoned by her uncle, suffering from vitiligo – a disease causing depigmentation of the skin – Michaela DePrince was taken in by an orphanage in her country and adopted by an American couple.
Having become a professional dancer, she also joined the Joburg Ballet, the ballet corps of Johannesburg, in South Africa, before moving to the Netherlands and returning to the United States.
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