Michaela DePrince, a strong ballerina who appeared on Dancing With the Stars and in Beyoncé’s Lemonade movie, has died. She was 29 years previous. A explanation for loss of life was not revealed.

The devastating information was introduced by her household through 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 press release 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, the place she was mistreated for her vitiligo. However, in 1999, she and a woman named Mia have been adopted by Elaine and Charles DePrince in New Jersey.

DePrince enrolled in ballet faculty in Philadelphia and was one in all six main topics within the 2011 documentary First Position. She appeared on an episode of Dancing With the Stars and went on to hitch the Dutch National Ballet’s junior firm. She was additionally the second soloist for the Boston Ballet. 

Notably, DePrince appeared within the “Freedom” visible on Beyoncé’s Lemonade movie that accompanied her 2016 album of the identical identify. She additionally starred within the 2021 ballet movie Coppelia.