Michaela Mabinty DePrince, a pioneering and inspirational figure in the ballet world, has died at the age of 29, her spokesperson announced on Instagram on Friday. The cause of death has not yet been disclosed.

In a heartfelt tribute, the caption on her Instagram post read, “Her life was a testament to grace, purpose, and strength. Her unwavering dedication to her craft, her humanitarian efforts, and her courage in overcoming unimaginable challenges will continue to inspire us. She was a beacon of hope, demonstrating that beauty and greatness can emerge from the darkest of circumstances.”

Following the announcement, DePrince’s sister Mia released a poignant statement. “I am deeply shocked and saddened by the loss of my beautiful sister,” Mia wrote. “From our early days in Africa, sharing a mat in the orphanage, Michaela (Mabinty) and I created our own musical theater plays and ballets. When we were adopted, our parents nurtured our dreams, helping Michaela become the graceful and strong ballerina many of you knew. She was a true inspiration.”

Born Mabinty Bangura in Sierra Leone, DePrince was sent to an orphanage at the age of three after the deaths of her parents during the civil war. She faced mistreatment and malnutrition at the orphanage, as she recounted to the Associated Press in 2012. DePrince later described walking miles to a refugee camp after learning the orphanage was to be bombed. Adopted by a mother who met her and her sisters in Ghana in 1999, DePrince moved to the United States at age four.

Her passion for ballet ignited in Sierra Leone after she saw a photograph of a ballerina. Despite beginning ballet training at five, she faced significant obstacles, including racial prejudice. At eight, she was told that the U.S. was not ready for a Black ballerina, and at nine, a teacher advised her mother against investing in her training. Despite these challenges, DePrince attended the prestigious Rock School for Dance Education and was featured in the documentary "First Position" at 17. She earned a scholarship to the American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of Ballet and went on to become the youngest principal dancer at the Dance Theatre of Harlem.

In 2012, DePrince performed in her first professional full ballet in South Africa, and the following year, joined the Dutch National Ballet’s junior company. She gained wider recognition in Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” at age 21 and later joined the Boston Ballet as a second soloist in 2021, where she performed the lead role in the ballet film "Coppélia."

DePrince was known for her advocacy for the inclusion of Black dancers in ballet and expressed a desire to open a dance school in Sierra Leone. “I’d like to use the money from my memoir, 'Hope in a Ballet Shoe,' to start the school,” she told the Guardian in 2015. “The arts have the power to change lives. I want to provide opportunities for children who, like me, deserve a chance.”

In honor of DePrince’s legacy, her family has requested that donations be made to War Child, an organization she supported. “Your contributions will directly support children growing up in conflict zones, a cause that was deeply meaningful to Michaela,” they wrote. “Thank you.”