Michaela DePrince, a remarkable ballet dancer renowned for her resilience and talent, has passed away at the age of 29. The announcement was made on her Instagram page, though the cause of death has not been revealed.

Born Mabinty Bangura in Sierra Leone, DePrince was adopted from an orphanage where she experienced severe mistreatment. Moving to the United States, she began her ballet training at age five. Despite facing numerous obstacles, including racism, DePrince achieved significant success and performed with prestigious companies such as Boston Ballet.

Her sister, Mia DePrince, expressed profound sorrow over her sister's passing, saying, "I am truly in a state of shock and deep sadness. My beautiful sister is no longer here."

DePrince's early years in Sierra Leone were marked by tragedy. Both her parents died in the civil war, and she was subjected to mistreatment at the orphanage due to her vitiligo. In 1999, her adoptive mother found her and her siblings in Ghana after they fled their orphanage to escape a bombing threat.

Throughout her career, DePrince attended the Rock School for Dance Education and later earned a scholarship to the American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of Ballet. She performed with the Dance Theatre of Harlem and the Dutch National Ballet and was featured in Beyoncé’s "Lemonade."

Despite her accomplishments, DePrince faced racism and xenophobia in the ballet world. She advocated for greater representation, stating, “There are practically no Black people in ballet, so I need to speak out.”

DePrince was also passionate about humanitarian efforts and aimed to establish a dance school in Sierra Leone. She believed in the transformative power of the arts, saying, “Dancing helped me share my emotions and connect to my family.”

In her honor, donations can be made to War Child, supporting children affected by armed conflict. Her family emphasized that, “This work meant the world to her, and your donations will directly help other children who grew up in an environment of armed conflict.”

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