Famed ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince tragically passed away just one day before her adoptive mother, Elaine DePrince, in what the family is calling a heartbreaking coincidence. Michaela, 29, died on Tuesday, and less than 24 hours later, Elaine passed away during a routine procedure ahead of surgery.
Michaela’s untimely death was confirmed by the DePrince family in a statement released on Friday. By the weekend, they had learned that Elaine had also perished. Family spokeswoman Jess Volinski highlighted that Elaine was unaware of her daughter’s death at the time of her treatment, and that the two deaths were unrelated.
Volinski added, “The only way we can make sense of the senseless is that Elaine, who had already lost three children many years ago, was spared the pain of losing a fourth.” The family is devastated, mourning the loss of two loved ones within such a short time.
“‘An Unforgettable Inspiration,’ Says DePrince Family”
Michaela Mabinty DePrince discovered her love of ballet at a young age, telling Glamour in 2015 that she first saw a ballerina on a magazine cover that landed at her feet while living in an orphanage in Sierra Leone. After being adopted, it was the first thing she showed her new mother, Elaine DePrince, who promptly put her in dance courses when they moved to New Jersey.
Michaela, one of eleven siblings (nine of whom were adopted), eventually received a scholarship to the elite Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in New York City, a pre-professional ballet training school. She went on to perform with prestigious organizations like the Johannesburg Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Dutch National Ballet, and Boston Ballet.
Her family said she “achieved her dreams and so much more,” making a lasting impact both on and off the stage. Michaela starred in the 2011 documentary First Position, appeared on Dancing with the Stars, and in Beyoncé’s “Freedom” music video, and was the subject of a Madonna-directed biopic. She also played the lead in Coppelia and authored two books, Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina and Ballerina Dreams.
“She touched so many lives across the world, including ours,” the DePrince family wrote. “Her passion and impact on the dance world, especially in inspiring young Black dancers, has been tremendous. We will miss her and her gorgeous smile forever.”