Michaela DePrince, neé Mabinty Bangura and born on January 6, 1995 in Kenema, Sierra Leone: the ballet world will forever be shaped by her work. Her remarkable journey from a war-ravaged childhood to being celebrated as one of the foremost ballet dancers of all time is saying something about her resilience and determination.
Table of Contents
Profile Summary
| Full Name | Michaela Mabinty DePrince |
| Born | January 6, 1995 |
| Birthplace | Kenema, Sierra Leone |
| Adoptive Parents | Elaine and Charles DePrince |
| Adoption Year | 1999 |
| Siblings | Nine siblings (including Mia DePrince) |
| Education | Rock School for Dance Education, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at the American Ballet Theatre |
| Career Highlights | Soloist with Boston Ballet, former dancer with Dance Theatre of Harlem and Dutch National Ballet |
Early Life and Adversity
Yet Michaela was to suffer life’s extreme contrasts in her formative years. She was only three when her parents were murdered in the midst of Sierra Leone’s vicious civil war. The rebels killed her father and the mother y starved to death a few days later. Michaela was abandoned in an orphanage because of her vitiligo, where she was neglected and even bullied. The good part is inspite of the hurdles, her spirit never broke.
Adoption and New Beginnings
In 1999, her life changed dramatically when she and her friend Mia were adopted by Elaine and Charles DePrince, an American couple from Cherry Hill, New Jersey. With Michaela now one of eleven children in the DePrince clan, she began to cultivate her love for ballet. Michaela was now in the loving care of her adoptive family and they supported her talents all-the-way, immediately evident as Michaela excelled.
A Stellar Ballet Career
After being adopted, Michaela’s career in ballet skyrockets She was educated in the Rock School for Dance Education and made her presence known appearing at 2011 documentary First Position. In the course of her successful dancing career, she appeared with noted companies like Dance Theatre of Harlem and the Dutch National Ballet—the first dancer of black descent to do so. She joined the Boston Ballet as a second soloist in 2021.
Over the course of her career, she also made high-profile appearances in pop culture like Beyoncé’s Lemonade, and on Dancing with the Stars. Her rise to fame and accomplishments were later detailed in her memoir, Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina, illustrating the incredible life she lived.
Personal Life and Legacy
Ballet had a significant impact on Michaela as an individual person. In her memoir, she revealed that she was dating another ballet dancer Skyler Maxey-Wert. She is survived by her four sisters and one brother—Mia, Beelee, Jaye, Mariel and Amie Jane along with siblings Adam and Erik—and her late adoptive parents Elaine DePrince and Charles. Michaela died in September 2024, aged 29, having been preceded by Charles four years earlier in June 2020.
Her siblings and her partner Skyler have been left devastated by the news. The beautiful life of grace, resilience and humanitarianism Michaela DePrince leaves behind will always be remembered. More than a ballet dancer, her excrescence reaches out to the world — through her desire in helping the children of war and also sharing hope/miscourage.
Michaela DePrince– a testament to human spirit and love During her ballet career and in the course of her humanitarian work, more recently, she has left behind an immeasurable legacy.
Social Accounts
FAQs-
Who was Michaela DePrince?
Michaela DePrince, born Mabinty Bangura, was a Sierra Leonean-American ballet dancer known for her remarkable rise from a war orphan to a professional ballerina.
When and where was she born?
She was born on January 6, 1995, in Kenema, Sierra Leone.
Also read –
megha akash wedding, husband name, marriage
briggitte bozzo estatura y peso, esta operada, de donde es
eugenio franceschini fidanzata, wife, kids, girlfriend, height, age
