Renowned Boston Ballet dancer Michaela DePrince dies at age 29

Michaela DePrince , Boston Ballet dancer who performed alongside Beyoncé , died on Sept. 10, 2024 at the age of 29.

Michaela DePrince's death was announced on Friday through a post on her Instagram account , which talked about her rise to ballet stardom and her humanitarian efforts.

"With pain in our hearts, we share the loss of star ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince, whose artistry touched countless hearts and whose spirit inspired many, leaving an indelible mark on the world of ballet, and beyond," the post said.

Michaela DePrince is survived by her five sisters and two brothers.

One of her sisters, Mia DePrince , published two different Instagram posts about her sister's death on her own account. In the first post, she talked about creating their own musicals and dances together as children.

"When we got adopted, our parents quickly poured into our dreams and arose the beautiful, gracefully strong ballerina that so many of you knew her as today," Mia DePrince said. "She was an inspiration."

Michaela DePrince was born in war-torn Sierra Leone in 1995 and went to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School on a dance scholarship when she was 14. When she was 18, she performed with the Dutch National Ballet until 2020, achieving the soloist rank there, according to her website .

What did Michaela DePrince pass away from?

No cause of death has been officially stated for the young dancer.

When did Michaela DePrince join the Boston Ballet?

Michaela DePrince joined Boston Ballet in 2021 , starring in the ballet film Coppelia that same year.

Boston Ballet released a statement about Michaela DePrince's passing on Instagram , recognizing her immense talent and the tragedy of her death.

"We’re sending our love and support to the family of Michaela Mabinty DePrince at this time of loss. We were so fortunate to know Mabinty; she was a beautiful person, a wonderful dancer, and she will be greatly missed by us all," the post said.

Michaela's mother Elaine passes away a day later

In an unfortunate turn of events, her adoptive mother Elaine DePrince died of a rote procedure when preparing her for surgery , according to Mia DePrince's second Instagram post , on Sept. 11, a day after her daughter died. She had not known about her daughter's death at the time of her own passing.

"As unbelievable as it may seem, the two deaths were completely unrelated," the post said. "The only way we can make sense of the senseless is that Elaine, who had already lost three children many years ago, was by the grace of God spared the pain of experiencing the lost of a fourth child."

How to help

The DePrince family has asked the public to make donations to War Child , an organization that Michaela DePrince worked with closely, in lieu of flowers.

Rin Velasco is a trending reporter. She can be reached at rvelasco@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on wickedlocal.com: Renowned Boston Ballet dancer Michaela DePrince dies at age 29