Inspirational Ballerina, Michaela DePrince Who Recently Passed Away Was Adopted
Michaela Mabinty DePrince, the ballerina who passed away on September 10, 2024 was born in Sierra Leone, Africa to Muslim parents and later adopted by American parents.
Born on January 6, 1995 as Mabinty Bangura; Michaela was sent to an orphanage at the age of three after her biological parents died during the civil war.
She starred in the TV show Dancing with the Stars when she was just 17. DePrince made history as the youngest dancer at the Dance Theatre of Harlem.
Michaela joined the prestigious Boston Ballet as a second soloist in 2021 and has performed across the world.
She has also appeared in Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” music video album.
Michaela’s Adoptive Parents Were Really Supportive
Michaela was adopted at the age of four by Elaine and Charles DePrince, a couple from Cherry Hill.
Her adoptive parents were told that her biological father passed away in Revolutionary United Front during the civil war and that her mother starved soon after.
In an interview with BBC News, Michaela disclosed that she was viewed as a “devil’s child” in the orphanage because of her vitiligo, a disorder that causes patches of skin to lose color.
She said,
“They named us from one to 27, one was the favourite child of the orphanage and 27 was the least favourite.”
Initially, Elaine DePrince, had came to Safe Haven Orphanage to adopt child number 26, now called Mia.
However, she changed her plans when she found that Michaela was unlikely to find another home. So she adopted both the girls.
The DePrince family had 11 children, including Michaela, nine of whom were adopted.
Her adoptive mother quickly noticed Michaela’s obsession with ballet.
So she enrolled her in ballet classes in the Rock School of Dance in Philadelphia, driving 45-minutes everyday.
Michaela’s mom revealed that she made most of Michaela’s costumes.
“These little undergarments they wear under their tutus, they don’t come in dark brown, so I dye all these things for a brown girl, because they’re all what we call ‘flesh color.”
Michaela even she authored the book Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina (2014).
The book is a story of an orphan finding her place in the world with her adoptive parents in her new home and performing worldwide.
Additional Information
- In 2013, DePrince was a soloist with the Dutch National Ballet.
- DePrince was an ambassador for the charity War Child, and her siblings say they hope to continue on her legacy.
- Her brother, Eric DePrince, told the BBC he hopes the world can remember his sister “as someone who worked hard to improve the lives of others”.
