“Her unwavering commitment to her art, her humanitarian efforts, and her courage in overcoming unimaginable challenges will forever inspire us.”
Ballerina Michaela DePrince has died at age 29, her team announced on Friday with the above photo. michaeladeprince/Instagram “Her unwavering commitment to her art, her humanitarian efforts, and her courage in overcoming unimaginable challenges will forever inspire us,” her death announcement post read. Jason Kempin
The announcement also praised the dancer as a “beacon of hope for many, showing that no matter the obstacles, beauty and greatness can rise from the darkest of places.”
DePrince’s cause of death has not been revealed.
The dancer’s family also confirmed her death via a lengthy post on Facebook .
DePrince’s family also confirmed her death and celebrated her commitment to “inspiring young Black dancers to pursue their dreams.” WireImage
Her sister, Mia, shared a statement as well and recalled choreographing dances together when they were orphans. Rosalie O'Connor Photography
“Her passion and impact on the dance world, especially in inspiring young Black dancers to pursue their dreams, has been tremendous,” their touching tribute read. “We will miss her and her gorgeous smile forever and we know you will, too.”
Her sister, Mia, shared her own statement and recalled the passion DePrince had for dance even as a young orphan in Africa.
“From the very beginning of our story back in Africa, sleeping on a shared mat in the orphanage, Michaela (Mabinty) and I used to make up our own musical theater plays and act them out,” she wrote.
DePrince was 29 years old when she died. michaeladeprince/Instagram Her cause of death remains unknown. Getty Images
“We created our own ballets. She would choreograph, and I was the composer and conductor.”
Memorializing her later life, she added, “Whether she was leaping across the stage or getting on a plane and flying to third-world countries to provide orphans and children with dance classes, she was determined to conquer all her dreams in the arts and dance.”
Her rep did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.
In addition to being a phenomenal dancer, she has an inspiring story of resilience and determination.
DePrince was an orphan in her home country of Sierra Leone but was adopted by an American family when she was 4. Parkwood Entertainment As a child, she studied ballet at the American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of Ballet as well as the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Parkwood Entertainment
She was orphaned as a child after her father was murdered in Sierra Leone’s brutal civil war and her mom died of a fever, she told Glamour in 2015.
She lived with 26 other orphans before being adopted with her sister and moving to the US at age 4.
While living in America, DePrince studied ballet at the American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of Ballet.
Her clear talent landed her a starring spot in the 2011 “First Position” documentary, which followed dancers as they prepared for the Youth America Grand Prix — the largest student ballet scholarship competition in the world.
DePrince moved to the Netherlands as a young adult to dance for the Dutch National Ballet. michaeladeprince/Instagram
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Local News
