The family of the late ballet dancer death-of-ballerina-michaela-deprince-at-29/” title=”Death of Ballerina Michaela DePrince at 29″>Michaela DePrince, who passed away at the age of 29 on September 10, has revealed that they are also mourning the death of her adoptive mother, Elaine. In a statement shared on Facebook by the family’s spokesperson, Jess Volinski, Michaela’s sisters Mia and Jaye and brother Erik announced that Elaine DePrince died one day after Michaela’s death.
Addressing online speculation, the statement clarified that “the last few days have been even more difficult than most people realize because the family has also been dealing with the death of Michaela’s adoptive mother Elaine DePrince.” According to the family, Elaine passed away on September 11 while undergoing a routine procedure before a surgical operation. At that time, she was unaware of her daughter’s passing.
The statement expressed how unimaginably painful it is for the family to grieve two loved ones within such a short period. It emphasized that both deaths were unrelated and suggested that Elaine had been spared from experiencing another loss after already losing three children in previous years.
In another facebook statement released on September 13, Volinski and members of the DePrince family described Michaela as an “unforgettable inspiration” who touched many lives worldwide. Born in Sierra Leone in 1995 as Mabinty Bangura, Michaela faced adversity early in life due to vitiligo and bullying at an orphanage. However, she discovered her passion for ballet after seeing a magazine featuring a ballerina when she was young.
At four years old, Michaela was adopted by New Jersey couple Elaine and Charles DePrince. She moved to the United States where she pursued ballet training at prestigious institutions such as Philadelphia’s Rock School for Dance Education and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre in New York City.
By age 17, Michaela had achieved significant milestones in her ballet career including being featured in documentaries like “First Position” (2011) and performing as a guest principal with Joburg Ballet in South Africa. She also appeared on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.”
The statement concluded by acknowledging Michaela’s impact on inspiring young black dancers to pursue their dreams while expressing gratitude for her achievements: “She achieved her dreams and so much more… We will miss her and her gorgeous smile forever.”
Michaela is survived by siblings Mia, Jaye, Erik along with Beelee Mariel Amie Adam.
