Michaela DePrince
The young ballerina dancing all over the stereotypes of a pressure-intense career.
As an orphan growing up during Sierra Leone’s brutal civil war, Michaela DePrince found a magazine blowing in the wind. On its cover was a ballerina and a new inspiration. Now, at the age of 22, Michaela is immersed in the world of ballet. She has also danced with Beyoncé, written a book, and is currently working on a movie based on her life. But hers is not a fairy tale. It is a story of resilience in the face of racism, diligence in honing raw talent and self-care in a world fixated on stereotypes.
Touring the world with the Dutch National Ballet, Michaela is living any ballet dancer’s dream. But she is the only female dancer of color in the internationally renowned company and the first soloist of African descent. The world was introduced to Michaela in 2011 when she was one of...
