09/15/2024
a phoenix of the art world
Michaela DePrince -- the trailblazing ballerina who went from the war-torn streets of Sierra Leone to becoming a rising star of the ballet world -- has died at the age of 29. "Her unwavering commitment to her art, her humanitarian efforts, and her courage in overcoming unimaginable challenges will forever inspire us," an announcement about her death yesterday read. "She stood as a beacon of hope for many, showing that no matter the obstacles, beauty and greatness can rise from the darkest of places."
Orphaned at age 3 during the midst of Sierra Leone’s 11-year civil war, Michaela was called the “devil’s child” by orphanage workers and ostracized for her skin condition, vitiligo, which leaves unpigmented spots covering her chest and neck. It was at the orphanage, Michaela explained in an interview, that she first discovered her life’s passion:
“I found the magazine lying on the ground outside the gate of the orphanage, I’d never seen anything like that before, so I took the cover off and put it in my underwear because I had nowhere else to put it... I kept the picture with me every day until I got adopted. It kept me going and believing and looking forward to something, because I was going through so much at the time. I thought I was just worth nothing and nothing’s going to happen. This person in the photograph symbolized hope for me.”
Soon after she was adopted by an American family who encouraged her blossoming talent in dance. At 14, she won a scholarship to the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of the American Ballet Theatre after competing against 5,000 other dancers in the prestigious Youth American Grand Prix. She was also one of the six dancers profiled in the 2011 documentary “First Position.” In 2012, she became the youngest dancer at Dance Theatre of Harlem and was a soloist with the Dutch National Ballet. In 2021, Michaela joined the Boston Ballet as second soloist.
After her death, Michaela's sister Mia shared a reflection on Michaela's life: "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... Whether she was leaping across the stage or getting on a plane and flying to third-world countries to provide orphans and children with dance classes, she was determined to conquer all her dreams in the arts and dance. Michaela has left her footprints in the sand and on so many stages across the world. She will be truly missed."
To share her incredible story and legacy with young readers, Michaela and her mother, Elaine DePrince, wrote a book about her life which is available in two versions -- a memoir for ages 11 and up, "Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina" (https://www.amightygirl.com/taking-flight), and a chapter book for ages 6 to 9, "Ballerina Dreams: From Orphan to Dancer" (https://www.amightygirl.com/ballerina-dreams)
She is also the subject of an upcoming new picture book "Becoming a Ballerina: The Story of Michaela Mabinty DePrince" at https://amzn.to/3TsKle6
Michaela was one of several young dancers featured in the ballet documentary "First Position" at http://amzn.to/2747XH1 -- which can be streamed online at http://amzn.to/2hbqCyZ
Thanks to Pointe for sharing this image.
