Ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince, an orphan from Sierra Leone who rose to the rank of soloist at the Dutch National Ballet, has died at the age of 29.

Her death was announced on her personal Instagram page, although no cause was given. “Her unwavering commitment to her art, her humanitarian efforts, and her courage in overcoming unimaginable challenges will forever inspire us,” reads the statement.

“Michaela passed away far too soon. Our thoughts are with her loved ones and family,” said the Dutch National Opera & Ballet in a LinkedIn post.

Unlikely beginning

Born in Kenema, Sierra Leone, in 1995, DePrince was sent by her uncle to an orphanage at the age of three after her father was killed by the Revolutionary United Front and her mother died from starvation during the country’s Civil War.

She was known as the “devil’s child” at the orphanage because of a skin condition, vitiligo, which causes patches of skin to lose pigmentation.

She’s said that a magazine picture of a ballerina that blew against the orphanage gate made her determined to become a dancer. “All I remember is she looked really, really happy,” DePrince told the AP, adding that she wished “to become this exact person.”

Adopted by an American family at the age of four, she moved to New Jersey, where her mother, noting her ballet obsession, signed her up for classes.

She made history as the youngest principal dancer at the Dance Theatre of Harlem, has performed in Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” music video album and even had a stint on the TV show Dancing with the Stars when she was only 17.

In 2012, she accepted an invitation to perform with the Hague dance company The Dutch Don’t Dance Division, and by 2014 she had joined the main company of the Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam.

“That was not an easy road for Michaela,” said the Dutch National Ballet. “Several times, she was told that she didn’t have the right body type and not the right skin colour for a ballet dancer.”

DePrince left Amsterdam in 2022 to dance with the American Boston Ballet.

Fame for good

The 2015 publication of her memoir, Hope in a Ballet Shoe, made her somewhat of a celebrity in the Netherlands. She also co-authored a book with her mother Elaine, 2014’s Ballerina Dreams: From Orphan to Dancer.

Her story of beating such incredible odds was an inspiration to many, says War Child, where DePrince served as an ambassador for almost a decade.

“Her personal story of loss and triumph, from orphan to world-famous ballerina, gave thousands of hope. With her infectious enthusiasm and firm conviction, she was a voice for those who are usually not heard,” said the non-profit in an online memorial.

Her family has asked people to donate to the War Child, which is partly based in Amsterdam, in lieu of flowers. They also confirmed she died on September 10, the day before her mother passed away.

Speaking on the BBC, her brother, Eric DePrince, said he hopes the world remembers his sister “as someone who worked hard to improve the lives of others”.

Her sister Mia, who shared a mat with Michaela at the orphanage and was adopted by the same family, added that the soloist “left her footprints in the sand and on so many stages across the world. She will be truly missed.”

The siblings say they hope to continue their sister’s humanitarian legacy.

In 2015, DePrince told The New York Times that she wanted to open a school for the arts in Sierra Leone when her dancing days were over, “when I’m 40.” She also said in that same interview that she wanted to became a principal dancer in the Dutch National Ballet.

The latter she achieved.

“Despite being told the ‘world wasn’t ready for black ballerinas’ or that ‘black ballerinas weren’t worth investing in,’ she remained determined, focused, and began making big strides,” wrote American ballerina Misty Copeland on Instagram.