Ballerina Michaela DePrince’s Mom Elaine Died 24 Hours After Her

Ballerina Michaela DePrince's Mom Elaine Died 24 Hours After Her

As a lifestyle expert with a deep appreciation for resilience and the human spirit, I find myself deeply moved by the story of Michaela Mabinty DePrince and her family. The tragic loss of both Michaela and her adoptive mother Elaine within such a short span is truly heart-wrenching.


The DePrince family has shared more heartbreaking news. 

Following the sad confirmation of the passing of Boston Ballet principal soloist Michaela Mabinty DePrince at the age of 29, it was disclosed by her family that Michaela’s mother, Elaine DePrince, had also passed away within a day of her beloved adopted daughter.

They shared on Facebook on September 14th: “The past few days have been exceptionally challenging, as the family is also grappling with the loss of Michaela’s adoptive mother, Elaine DePrince.

On September 10, it was reported that Michaela had unfortunately passed away, whereas Elaine, who was 77 years old, died on September 11 during a regular medical procedure as part of her preparations for an upcoming operation.

Before my encounter with Elaine, I, too, had departed from this world as Michaela. Astonishingly, our demises were unconnected events. In the face of such an inexplicable sequence, it appears that fate, in its mysterious ways, spared Elaine – who had already mourned the loss of three children long ago – the additional sorrow of losing a fourth child by God’s grace.

On the 14th of September, Elaine graced our Facebook feed with a heartwarming throwback post featuring monochrome snaps of her reading to her little ones years ago. The accompanying caption shared that she had bravely fought against a genetic illness and heart failure for numerous years. It’s with profound sadness that I acknowledge she is no longer with us, leaving behind a beautiful legacy in the form of her children: Mia, Beelee, Jaye, Mariel, Amie, as well as her sons Erik and Adam.

Ballerina Michaela DePrince's Mom Elaine Died 24 Hours After Her

On September 13th, Michaela’s family announced her passing through a post on her official Instagram account, expressing that she had left an indelible impact on countless lives worldwide, serving as a profound inspiration for anyone fortunate enough to have known her or heard her remarkable tale.

Her cause of death has not been made public.

The dancer hailed from Sierra Leone in 1995, but tragically lost both parents during the country’s prolonged civil war, which led to her spending time in an orphanage. At just four years old, she and another orphan named Mia were welcomed into an American family residing in New Jersey, who fostered her passion for dance.

Ballerina Michaela DePrince's Mom Elaine Died 24 Hours After Her

In the early stages of her career, as Michaela—co-author of the 2014 memoir “Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina” with Elaine—revealed, her passion for dance was ignited when she found an image from a discarded magazine while residing in the orphanage.

She shared with the BBC in 2012 that there was a woman on the magazine, who was standing on her tiptoes in a lovely pink tutu. This sight was unlike anything she had ever seen – a costume adorned with sparkles and exuding such beauty. To her, the person wearing it radiated beauty, hope, love, and all the positive emotions that she herself lacked.

As she explained, she thought to herself, “‘Wow! This is what I want to be.'”

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2024-09-17 00:47