>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michaela_DePrince

Michaela Mabinty DePrince (born Mabinty Bangura; January 6, 1995 – September 13, 2024) was a Sierra Leonean-American ballet dancer who danced with the Boston Ballet.

DePrince rose to fame after starring in the documentary First Position in 2011, which followed her and other young ballet dancers as they prepared to compete at the Youth America Grand Prix. In 2013, DePrince danced with the Dance Theatre of Harlem as the youngest dancer in the history of the company, and, in the same year, was a soloist with the Dutch National Ballet.

With her adoptive mother, Elaine DePrince, she authored the book Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina (2014). From 2016 to 2024, she was a goodwill ambassador with the Amsterdam-based organization War Child. Her death was announced on September 13, 2024.

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Personal life and death

While a dancer with Dance Theatre of Harlem, DePrince went on tour to Israel where she prayed at the Wailing Wall. She wore a hamsa, a symbol that is significant to both Jews and Muslims,[3] for protection while traveling to the Dome of the Rock and the Dead Sea.[35]

In 2015, It was reported that DePrince was in a relationship with ballet dancer Skyler Maxey-Wert, whom she also talked about in her book.[36][3]

Her adoptive father, Charles DePrince, died in June 2020, but Michaela was unable to travel from Amsterdam to Atlanta to say good-bye and be with her family due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, further complicated by unrest due to the George Floyd protests.[32] In September 2020, she took time off from her career to grieve and deal with her mental health through therapy.[32]

Her death at the age of 29 was announced on 13 September 2024 via her Instagram page.[37] Her family later issued a statement, in which they requested that people donate to War Child, an organization DePrince supported, in lieu of flowers.[1]