Michaela DePrince, Beloved Ballerina Who Has Worked With Beyoncé, Dies at 29

Michaela DePrince, a powerful ballerina who appeared on Dancing With the Stars and in Beyoncé’s Lemonade film, has died. She was 29 years old. A cause of death was not revealed.

The devastating news was announced by her family via the dancer’s social media pages. “With pain in our hearts, we share the loss of star ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince, whose artistry touched countless hearts and whose spirit inspired many, leaving an indelible mark on the world of ballet, and beyond,” a statement on DePrince’s Instagram signed by “Team MDP “reads.

DePrince was born Mabinty Bangura in Kenema, Sierra Leone, in 1995. She grew up in an orphanage, where she was mistreated for her vitiligo. However, in 1999, she and a girl named Mia were adopted by Elaine and Charles DePrince in New Jersey.

DePrince enrolled in ballet school in Philadelphia and was one of six primary subjects in the 2011 documentary First Position. She appeared on an episode of Dancing With the Stars and went on to join the Dutch National Ballet’s junior company. She was also the second soloist for the Boston Ballet. 

Notably, DePrince appeared in the “Freedom” visual on Beyoncé’s Lemonade film that accompanied her 2016 album of the same name. She also starred in the 2021 ballet film Coppelia.