A war orphan from Sierra Leone, DePrince moved to the US and ended up performing with Beyoncé.

Ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince, who performed with Beyoncé and was seen by many as a trailblazer, has died at the age of 29.

A spokesperson announced her death on her personal Instagram page and in a statement her family said she was an “unforgettable inspiration to everyone who knew her or heard her story”.

The cause of death has not been given.

DePrince made a remarkable journey from suffering as an orphan in war-torn Sierra Leone to numerous accolades in the world of international dance.

Her family said her death had been “sudden”, adding: “Michaela touched so many lives across the world, including ours.”

Tributes have been pouring in, including from others in the ballet community.

  • Flying Squid
    58•3 months ago

    That’s just awful. Anyone who dies that young has a tragic death, but it’s so much more tragic when you achieve the level of accomplishment she did.

    Ballet does wreck your body though. I wonder if that contributed to whatever ended up causing her death.

    • Maeve
      35•3 months ago

      DePrince made a remarkable journey from suffering as an orphan in war-torn Sierra Leone to numerous accolades in the world of international dance.

      That probably wrecks a body, too.

      • Stopthatgirl7OP
        10•3 months ago

        I just watched a video where she was talking about being stabbed in the belly with a machete by a child soldier right after her pregnant teacher was cut open in front of her by soldiers who wanted to know if the teacher’s baby was a girl or a boy.

        • Maeve
          2•3 months ago

          Wow. That’s so tragic, on every level, for both humans. I watched a documentary on the making of child soldiers, they get them hooked on drugs, so they can live with the horrors, much like human traffickers do their victims.