Elaine DePrince, Mother Of Ballerina Michaela DePrince, Dies One Day After Her Daughter's Passing

Elaine DePrince, mother of renowned ballerina Michaela DePrince, passed away just one day after her daughter's death, the family announced.

Elaine died on September 11, 2024, during a routine procedure ahead of an upcoming surgery, according to family spokesperson Jessica Volinski's statement on Facebook.

Michaela died on September 10. She was 29.

Elaine was unaware of her daughter's death at the time of her own procedure. Volinski emphasized that "the two deaths were completely unrelated," and added that the only way to make sense of the tragic losses was to believe that Elaine was spared the pain of losing another child, having already lost three children years ago.

Michaela DePrince, born Mabinty Bangura in Sierra Leone, endured a difficult early life. After the deaths of her parents — her father killed by rebels and her mother succumbing to disease and starvation — Michaela was placed in an orphanage at the age of 3.

At the orphanage, she suffered mistreatment and malnourishment, worsened by the stigma surrounding her skin condition, vitiligo. The Mayo Clinic defines vitiligo as "a disease that causes loss of skin color in patches. The discolored areas usually get bigger with time. The condition can affect the skin on any part of the body. It can also affect hair and the inside of the mouth."

Inspired by a picture of a ballerina she found in a magazine, Michaela dreamed of becoming a dancer, despite being ranked as "number 27," the least favored child at the orphanage.

At 4 years old, Michaela was adopted by Elaine and her husband in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Under Elaine's care, Michaela overcame her traumatic past and pursued her passion for ballet. She trained at the prestigious Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia and rose to international fame, joining the Dutch National Ballet and later the Boston Ballet.

Beyond her dance career, Michaela was a dedicated humanitarian, serving as an ambassador for War Child Holland advocating for children affected by war and violence. Michaela's death is seen as a profound loss to both the ballet world and humanitarian causes, with many recognizing her as a trailblazer and inspiration for young dancers of color.

"What the family is going through right now is truly unimaginably painful," Jessica concluded her Facebook post. "Grieving two family members who died within a 24 hour period is tragic and devastating. We continue to ask for privacy."