Michaela Mabinty DePrince, Sierra Leone ballerina who starred in Beyoncé video, dies at 29

Michaela Mabinty DePrince, the ballerina born throughout a civil struggle in Sierra Leone who carried out in Beyoncé’s ‘Lemonade’ visible album, has died, in response to an announcement posted to her official Instagram web page. She was 29.

“Her life was one outlined by grace, function, and power. Her unwavering dedication to her artwork, her humanitarian efforts, and her braveness in overcoming unimaginable challenges will endlessly encourage us,” the publish learn.

“She stood as a beacon of hope for a lot of, displaying that irrespective of the obstacles, magnificence and greatness can rise from the darkest of locations.”

No reason for demise has been given. Her sister Mia mentioned she was in a “shock and deep disappointment”.

DePrince made historical past because the youngest principal dancer on the Dance Theatre of Harlem and went on to bounce with the Dutch Nationwide Ballet and the Boston Ballet, the place she was a second soloist.

Her expertise was delivered to a wider viewers with a cameo in ‘Lemonade’, the video that accompanied Beyoncé’s album of the identical identify. DePrince instructed the WSJ she thought it was a joke when she heard the singer wished her for the video, who instructed DePrince in individual it was an ‘honor’ to have her star.

Born throughout Sierra Leone’s brutal struggle and despatched to dwell in an orphanage after each of her delivery mother and father died -her father was killed by rebels and her mom starved to demise – DePrince had an formative years marked by the horrors of struggle.

On the orphanage, she was known as “the satan’s youngster” and was ill-treated by orphanage carers as a result of she had vitiligo – a pores and skin situation that causes blotches of lightening pores and skin. She witnessed considered one of her academics be murdered by rebels and was stabbed by a little bit boy whereas attempting to save lots of her.

“I’ve really a scar from it and it was a black out after that – I don’t know how I survived that, it was terrible,” she instructed CNN throughout a 2012 interview.

Known as Mabinty Bangura when she was born, DePrince first noticed a ballerina on the duvet of {a magazine} outdoors the orphanage when she was simply three years outdated.

“I used to be simply so fascinated by this individual, by how lovely she was, how she was sporting such a gorgeous costume,” mentioned DePrince. Although she had no thought what ballet was, she saved the journal cowl and dreamt of at some point turning into as blissful because the dancer within the photograph.

Shortly after, DePrince was adopted by a pair from New Jersey and commenced a brand new life in the USA. Her household nurtured her love for ballet and enrolled her in courses.

“From the very starting of our story again in Africa, sleeping on a shared mat within the orphanage, Michaela (Mabinty) and I used to make up our personal musical theater performs and act them out. We created our personal ballets,” wrote her sister Mia, who was additionally born in Sierra Leone and adopted by the identical household, in a press release.

DePrince went on to earn a full scholarship to the American Ballet Theater’s summer season intensive on the age of 13 and earned one other scholarship within the youth America Grand Prix, the largest ballet competitors on the planet.

It was not a journey with out prejudice. As a Black woman within the predominantly white protect of ballet, she nearly stop on the age of 10 when a trainer mentioned she didn’t wish to put effort and cash into Black dancers.

However her willpower persevered. “I am nonetheless attempting to alter the way in which folks see black dancers, that we will turn out to be delicate dancers, that we could be a ballerina,” she instructed CNN on the age of seventeen.

“Regardless of being instructed the ‘world wasn’t prepared for black ballerinas’ or that ‘black ballerinas weren’t price investing in,’ she remained decided, targeted, and commenced making large strides,”wrote dancer Misty Copeland in a tribute posted to social media. “Michaela had a lot extra to offer,” she added.

In 2014, DePrince co-authored a memoir about her life together with her adoptive mom known as’Taking Flight: From Battle Orphan to Star Ballerina’ and went on to turn out to be an envoy for Battle Youngster Holland, selling the well-being and psychological well being of kids residing in struggle zones.

“This work meant the world to her,” wrote her household of their assertion, asking that folks donate to the group in her reminiscence.

With earlier reporting by CNN’s Nkepile Mabuse. The CNN Wire™ & © 2024 Cable Information Community, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Firm. All rights reserved.