Michaela Mabinty DePrince, a trailblazing figure in the world of ballet and a humanitarian known for her remarkable life journey, passed away at the young age of 29. Her death was confirmed through a statement shared on her Instagram account on Friday, September 13, 2024. While no cause of death has yet been reported, her passing has left the dance world and her admirers in deep sorrow.
DePrince, born Mabinty Bangura in Sierra Leone in 1995, overcame extraordinary challenges during her early life to achieve greatness on the international ballet stage. Her journey began in war-torn Sierra Leone, where she was sent to an orphanage at just three years old after both of her parents died during the country’s civil war. DePrince faced not only the loss of her family but also mistreatment due to her vitiligo, a condition that causes depigmentation of the skin. She recounted in interviews how children in the orphanage were ranked, and she was given the lowest rank, “number 27,” receiving the least food and clothing.
Her life took a dramatic turn when she was adopted at the age of four by a family from New Jersey, alongside her sister Mia, whom she had bonded with in the orphanage. Despite her frail health upon arriving in the U.S., DePrince quickly discovered her passion for ballet, inspired by a photograph she had found of a ballerina in a magazine back in Sierra Leone. The image became a symbol of hope and beauty that guided her through her early struggles and toward her future dreams.
DePrince’s talent was evident from an early age, and she began training in ballet at just five years old. However, her path was not without its obstacles. At the age of eight, when she was selected to perform the role of Marie in The Nutcracker, she was told that America was not yet ready for a Black ballerina. Later, at nine years old, a teacher told her mother that Black girls were not worth investing in because they would “grow up to have big hips and big boobs.” These painful experiences of racism and exclusion only fueled DePrince’s determination to break barriers in the ballet world.
DePrince went on to study at the prestigious Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia. At 17, she was featured in the documentary First Position, which followed six dancers as they prepared for the Youth America Grand Prix. Her rising star led her to receive a scholarship to the American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of Ballet, where she continued to hone her craft. Following her graduation from high school, she joined the Dance Theatre of Harlem and became the youngest principal dancer in the company’s history.
In 2013, DePrince’s career took her to Europe, where she joined the junior company of the Dutch National Ballet. Over the next few years, she rose through the ranks, ultimately becoming a celebrated soloist. Her fame extended beyond the traditional ballet world when she appeared in Beyoncé’s 2016 visual album Lemonade. In 2021, DePrince joined the Boston Ballet as a second soloist and performed the lead role in the ballet film Coppelia.
Despite her success, DePrince never forgot her roots. She became a passionate humanitarian, advocating for children affected by conflict and war. As an ambassador for War Child Holland, she worked to ensure that children impacted by violence had access to education and psychosocial support. She also dreamed of one day returning to Sierra Leone to open a dance school for children, a dream inspired by her own transformative experience with ballet.
Her family expressed their grief and admiration for DePrince’s life in a heartfelt statement shared on social media. “It is with profound sadness we announce the sudden passing of our beautiful sister, Michaela Mabinty DePrince,” the statement read. “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 sister Mia, who was adopted alongside her, added a poignant message, remembering their shared childhood dreams of dancing. “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. We created our own ballets,” Mia wrote. “Michaela was determined to conquer all her dreams in the arts and dance. She has left her footprints in the sand and on so many stages across the world.”
The Boston Ballet also shared their condolences, writing, “We were so fortunate to know Mabinty. She was a beautiful person, a wonderful dancer, and she will be greatly missed by us all.”
Although Michaela DePrince’s life was tragically short, her legacy as a trailblazer in the ballet world and a humanitarian will endure. She demonstrated extraordinary strength in overcoming the unimaginable challenges of her early life and went on to inspire a new generation of Black and brown dancers. Her story is one of resilience, grace, and an unwavering belief in the transformative power of the arts.
In lieu of flowers, DePrince’s family has asked for donations to War Child, an organization that she passionately supported, to continue her legacy of helping children in conflict zones. Her life, though brief, will continue to inspire generations to come, as her story of perseverance and beauty rising from darkness remains an enduring symbol of hope.