The circumstances that brought Michaela DePrince to the limelight were quite peculiar. Originally from Sierra Leone, she survived a civil war and a terrible childhood to become a renowned professional dancer. Her rise to prominence is tied to the dreams of Michael DePrince, an adoptive brother she never met. Michael’s big dream was to adopt a child from a war-torn country in Africa. Years after he passed on without actualizing his dream, his parents took up the noble cause. They decided to honor his memory by adopting a child from Sierra Leone.
That was in 1999, the tail end of the Sierra Leonean Civil War which lasted for over a decade. Finding a home in the United States at age 4, Michaela DePrince embraced dancing. It was only a matter of time before she established herself as an acclaimed ballerina against the odds of racial discrimination. Sadly, she died at age 29 on September 10, 2024. While she’s no more, her legacy lives on through her career accomplishments and the far-reaching impact of her charity efforts.
Michaela DePrince Lost Her Biological Parents To The Sierra Leone Civil War
The Sierra Leonean-American ballet dancer was born on January 6, 1995, in Kenema, Sierra Leone. She was born into a Muslim family and was originally named Mabinty Bangura. Michaela DePrince was only three when her uncle abandoned her at an orphanage. This was after she lost her parents to the devastating war. A rebel reportedly killed her father and her mother died soon after from starvation and fever.
Aside from being an orphan in a war-torn country, DePrince faced additional challenges due to her skin condition. She had vitiligo, a condition known to cause loss of skin color. As this autoimmune disorder was widely regarded as a devil’s curse in Michaela’s hometown at the time, she was branded “the devil’s child” and subjected to social isolation. Her life turned around when the DePrince family came calling.
She Gained Mainstream Recognition From Bess Kargman’s First Position
Michaela DePrince fell in love with dancing as a child. While at her orphanage home in Sierra Leone, she saw a magazine featuring a ballet dancer and was immediately drawn to the craft. After moving to the United States, her adoptive parents learned of her interest and enrolled her for ballet classes. She began her training at The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Michaela DePrince gained mainstream recognition as a teenager in 2011. She was one of the dancers in Bess Kargman’s First Position, a documentary film revolving around the Youth America Grand Prix. As a participant in the prestigious ballet competition, DePrince received a scholarship to attend the ballet training program offered by the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at the American Ballet Theatre.
With the exposure and the opportunity to polish her skills, First Position became the launching pad for Michaela DePrince’s professional career. She made her professional debut at Joburg Ballett and went on to perform with several ballet companies across America and Europe. The ballerina consolidated her fame with an appearance on Dancing with the Stars. Her exploits gained the attention of Forbes which named her in its coveted list of 30 Under 30 in Art & Culture. Time magazine also named the dancer among its 2013 Inspiring Women in the World.
Michaela DePrince Was Also Known For Her Memoir And Devotion To Charity
The late ballerina was a published author. Inspired to share her life story, the dancer and her adoptive mom, Elaine DePrince coauthored her memoir. Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina was first published in 2014 and according to her website, has been published under different titles in 12 countries. The duo published another book — Ballerina Dreams: From Orphan to Dancer — that same year. Mother and daughter sadly died within 24 hours in 2024. Elaine died on September 11, without knowing her daughter had passed the previous day.
Beyond inspiring people with her life story, Michaela DePrince was actively involved in charity efforts devoted to disadvantaged youth. She became an Ambassador for War Child in 2016 and launched her own charity gala Dare to Dream soon after. The benefit “strives to empower the resilience and well-being of children living with violence and armed conflict with a passionate dedication towards the importance of mental health,” reads an excerpt from the profile on her site. Check out Loni Willison’s emotional journey from stardom to struggles.
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