Sierra Leone-born US ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince dies aged 29

DePrince's story was inspiring to many. She persevered through hardship on her journey to becoming a celebrated ballet dancer.

Transcript

00:00American ballet dancer, Michaela Mabinti-DePrince, has died at age 29.

00:11DePrince's success story was an inspiring one.

00:14She was adopted by an American family, but was born in war-torn Sierra Leone, where she

00:19lost both her parents at a young age.

00:23In an orphanage there, she was labeled devil's child due to her vitiligo, a skin pigmentation

00:28disorder.

00:29Um, I think it just makes me more determined because I've been through so much that I know

00:36now that I can make it and I can, you know, help other kids who have been in really bad

00:41situations realize that they can make it too, so, yeah.

00:47DePrince went on to become a principal dancer at the Dance Theater of Harlem, the Dutch

00:52National Ballet, and the Boston Ballet.

00:56Her passion has helped inspire young black dancers to pursue their dreams, her family

01:01said.