Michaela Mabinty DePrince — a ballerina who went from war-torn Sierra Leone to worldwide dancing fame — has died … in keeping with a press release posted to her Instagram.
A black and white pic of the star was posted to the account … with a protracted caption targeted on Michaela’s “grace, purpose and strength” — including she poured her efforts into each her dancing and her humanitarian efforts.
Her workforce notes how she was solely alive for a short while … however, her legacy will proceed to dwell on with all those that knew her. No explanation for dying was famous within the publish.
MMD was initially born in Sierra Leone, and brought to an orphanage throughout a civil battle within the nation. After the orphanage was bombed, she fled to a refugee camp … and, was finally adopted by a New Jersey couple.
She gained many alternative alternatives in america … changing into the youngest member of the vaunted Dance Theatre of Harlem earlier than heading throughout the Atlantic to affix the Dutch Nationwide Ballet.
In 2011, at simply 16 years previous, Michaela appeared as one of many fundamental dancers within the documentary “First Position” — all about college students vying for a spot at an elite ballet college. The next yr, Michaela appeared on “Dancing with the Stars.”
Micahela additionally had a giant function in Brandi Carlile’s music video for her music “The Joke” … twirling about whereas Brandi emotionally belted the music within the black and white clip.
Lately, Michaela wrote a memoir … “Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina.” She additionally wrote a kids’s guide, “Ballerina Dreams,” to encourage the subsequent era of dancers.
DePrince was 29.
RIP
