The mother of the late ballerina Michaela DePrince has passed away, just 24 hours after her daughter’s sudden death at the age of 29.
Elaine ‘Mamma E’ DePrince died on Wednesday, September 11, one day after the death of her adoptive daughter Michaela, as per a Facebook post from family spokesperson Jessica Volinski.
‘The last few days have been even more difficult than most people realize because the family has also been dealing with the death of Michaela’s adoptive mother Elaine DePrince,’ Volinski wrote.
‘Her mother Elaine died during a routine procedure in preparation for a surgery on September 11th. Michaela died before Elaine and Elaine did not know of Michaela’s passing at the time of her procedure.’
‘As unbelievable as it may seem, the two deaths were completely unrelated. The only way we can make sense of the senseless is that Elaine, who had already lost three children many years ago, was by the grace of God spared the pain of experiencing the loss of a fourth child.’
Elaine DePrince, the mother of the late ballerina Michaela DePrince, has passed away, just 24 hours after her daughter’s sudden death at the age of 29; they are seen together
Elaine died on Wednesday, September 11, one day after the death of her adoptive daughter Michaela, as per a post from family spokesperson Jessica Volinski; Michaela seen in 2013
‘What the family is going through right now is truly unimaginably painful. Grieving two family members who died within a 24 hour period is tragic and devastating. We continue to ask for privacy and appreciate you directing anyone sharing incorrect information and speculation to this post.’
Michaela’s sudden death was announced her spokesperson on Friday.
DePrince’s family have not offered a cause of death for the young dancer, who won waves of fans by sharing her story as an orphan who escaped violence in Sierra Leone to become a world-renowned ballerina.
Over the weekend it was reported that Michaela left behind an eerie final post on Instagram.
She captioned what would be her final post with a hand-gestured peace sign emoji, as she stood dressed in an all-black Nike ensemble.
Also linked to the post is soul-singer Khalid’s song ‘Better’ which features lyrics: ‘Nothing feels better than this, nothing feels better.’
Born Mabinty Mangura, she was malnourished and mistreated in an orphanage in the early years of her life, before she was adopted by a couple in New Jersey at the age of four.
She rocketed to stardom aged 17 when she appeared on Dancing with the Stars, and was best known for her leading role in Beyonce’s ‘Lemonade’ music video.
‘Elaine died during a routine procedure in preparation for a surgery… Michaela died before Elaine and Elaine did not know of Michaela’s passing at the time of her procedure,’ Volinski wrote
‘As unbelievable as it may seem, the two deaths were completely unrelated. The only way we can make sense of the senseless is that Elaine, who had already lost three children many years ago, was by the grace of God spared the pain of experiencing the loss of a fourth child,’ the statement, which also contained two black and white photos of Elaine, read
‘What the family is going through right now is truly unimaginably painful. Grieving two family members who died within a 24 hour period is tragic and devastating,’ Volinski added
Born Mabinty Mangura, Michaela was malnourished and mistreated in an orphanage in the early years of her life, before she was adopted by a couple in New Jersey at the age of four; seen with her mom in 2017
In announcing her death on Friday, DePrince’s spokesperson said her ‘artistry touched countless hearts and whose spirit inspired many, leaving an indelible mark on the world of ballet, and beyond.’
‘Her life was one defined by grace, purpose, and strength. Her unwavering commitment to her art, her humanitarian efforts, and her courage in overcoming unimaginable challenges will forever inspire us,’ the statement read.
‘She stood as a beacon of hope for many, showing that no matter the obstacles, beauty and greatness can rise from the darkest of places.
‘Though her time with us was far too brief, her brilliance and legacy will continue to shine in the hearts of all who were touched by her story, for generations to come. Love and prayers go to her chosen family, friends, and those who loved her.’
DePrince’s sister, 30, shared a touching post of the two as young girls on Instagram following her passing.
The post read: ‘I am truly in a state of shock and deep sadness. My beautiful sister is no longer here. From the very beginning of our story back in Africa, sleeping on a shared mat in the orphanage, Michaela (Mabinty) and I used to make up our own musical theater plays and act them out.’
The trailblazing ballerina’s sister continued gushing over fond memories from the sister’s childhood.
‘We created our own ballets. She would choreograph, and I was the composer and conductor. When we got adopted, our parents quickly poured into our dreams and arose the beautiful, gracefully strong ballerina that so many of you knew her as today.
‘I love you, my beautiful Butterfly,’ the post concluded.
In an interview with the Associated Press in 2012, DePrince recalled the moment inside an orphanage where she realized she wanted to be a dancer.
She said she spotted an image of a ballerina on a magazine cover, and ‘all I can remember is she looked really, really happy.’ From that moment, she vowed ‘to become this exact person.’
Explaining her tragic backstory, she told the outlet: ‘I lost both my parents, so I was there (the orphanage) for about a year and I wasn’t treated very well because I had vitiligo (a skin condition).’
‘We were ranked as numbers and number 27 was the least favorite and that was my number, so I got the least amount of food, the least amount of clothes and what not.’
