Sierra Leonean American ballerina Michaela DePrince has died at 29

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

In 2012, a teenage dancer captivated audiences in the ballet documentary "First Position." It was Michaela Mabinty DePrince. She was from war-torn Sierra Leone, and she went on to dance professionally, eventually joining the Boston Ballet. Well, today, we learned she died of undisclosed causes. She was 29. NPR's Elizabeth Blair has this appreciation.

ELIZABETH BLAIR, BYLINE: Michaela DePrince may not have seemed to fit the traditional lily-white world of ballet, but in Bess Kargman's documentary "First Position," she seems undeterred.

(SOUNDBITE OF DOCUMENTARY, "FIRST POSITION")

MICHAELA DEPRINCE: It's a miracle I'm even here. It's - I just - I can't believe I'm here.

BLAIR: DePrince was born Mabinty Bangura in Sierra Leone. She was a toddler when her father was killed by rebels. Her mother died shortly after from fever and starvation, according to her website. Her passion for dance began when she was a little girl. In her book, "Taking Flight," she writes that she danced in her bare toes in the mud of the rainy season. She spent time in an orphanage and was eventually adopted by an American family.

DePrince made her professional debut with the Joburg Ballet in South Africa. She appeared in ads for Nike, Chase Bank and other brands. DePrince was an ambassador of War Child, an organization that helps children living with violence and armed conflict. She stood as a beacon of hope for many, reads a statement announcing her death, showing that no matter the obstacles, beauty and greatness can rise from the darkest of places.

Elizabeth Blair, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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