Michaela DePrince is a world-famous ballerina who has appeared at the Boston Ballet. She even appeared in music videos by Beyoncé and Madonna at one point in her career. She became famous as a result of her own perseverance as well as the backing of two individuals whose love was genuine. That would be her adoptive parents, who have always placed incredible faith in her. Her backstory may have a happy ending, but it’s not one anybody would have expected. Today, we at Viraltrendzs hope you’ll take the time to read an interesting account of Michaela’s life and find motivation in the challenges she overcame on the way to achievement.
Michaela came into the world in 1995 in Sierra Leone. The girl was given the name Mabinty by her parents. However, once her parents passed away, her uncle handed her over to an orphanage, where she was treated as nothing more than a number.
Michaela’s pre-adoption life wasn’t exactly a bed of roses.
In an interview, she reflected on her time spent in an orphanage, recalling how they gave each child a number between 1 and 27. The orphanage staff’s top pick was number one, while their worst pick was number 27. Michaela, who suffers from the very unusual skin disorder vitiligo, ranked 27. The other kids in the orphanage teased her and referred to her as the “devil’s child” because of her peculiar behavior.
In the arms of her closest friend, she felt at ease. She was also known by the name Mabinty, and she was placed in the orphanage on the 26th place. The two young women spent a lot of time together singing and acting out imaginary scenarios regarding their futures in their “adopted” families.
The girl’s life suddenly took a magical turn.
During this time, a lady living in New Jersey by the name of Elaine DePrince had the wish to bring an African kid into her family via adoption. She was planning to adopt Michaela’s friend Mabinty. However, before she left on an adoption journey, there was some uncertainty, which ultimately turned out to be Michaela’s fate.
Elaine, the adoptive mother, described the experience of receiving a phone call from the adoption agency during the course of an interview. The orphanage staff had inquired as to which Mabinty she was adopting, mentioning that they already care for two with the same name.
After that, Elaine learned that another Mabinty had been turned away by 12 families due to the state of her skin. Following the unveiling of this information, she did not waste any time in coming to the conclusion that she would adopt both of the little girls.
Elaine recalls Michaela standing there with her arms crossed and displaying extreme anger. Elaina speculates…that Michaela may have just been expecting more rejection on her part at this point in time.
The heroic figures in Michaela’s life were her adoptive parents.
When Michaela was still a child and still living in the orphanage, she came upon a photograph of a ballet dancer in a newspaper. This sparked her interest in ballet. Ever since she was a little kid, she had held on to the hope that one day her dream would come true.
Upon her arrival at her adoptive parent’s home, she gave Elaine, her adoptive mother, the picture she had brought with her. And she had shared with her that one of her deepest desires was to one day wear pointe shoes, exactly like a professional dancer. Elaine was overcome with emotion and astonishment, and all she could say to Michaela in response was that she would one day be dancing.
Michaela’s life in the United States was about to take a fresh and promising turn. However, at the beginning, the girl still had concerns about being rejected, to the point where she even slept with the light on. However, the love and care that she received from her parents helped mend her broken heart. She immediately found herself at ease, and it was then that she began working toward realizing her lifelong ambition.
Michaela worked hard to realize her precious goal in her new life and was blessed.
After a period of adjustment, Michaela was able to flourish in her dance training and accomplish her lifelong goal of becoming a professional dancer. She was fully aware that she would have to face challenges along the way. Specifically, she was particularly concerned about the vitiligo that had begun to appear on her skin. Just before her first performance, she asked her mom whether the audience could see certain points on her body from their seats.
Elaine recounted the incident and said that she had replied with a no while also remarking that they seemed to be like pixie dust. Then, with a sigh of relief, she said, “Oh, excellent,” adding that she might pursue a career in ballet.
She made history as the youngest ballerina to ever dance with New York’s Dance Theatre of Harlem when she was only 17 years old. Later, she found employment with the Dutch National Ballet, and she eventually settled down in Amsterdam. She sees it not just as the fulfillment of a lifelong ambition, but as the just reward for her hard work.
She said that it is not a story from a fairy tale. She emphasized the need of putting in a lot of effort. There has been a great deal of suffering and loss. But, you know, performing a show? She adores it.
She hopes her tale will inspire others.
Michaela looks up to Lauren Anderson, who was the first black principal ballerina in the United States of America. The young lady documented her life in an autobiographical book. Madonna has recently shown an interest in making a film based on Michaela. She said that she was really taken aback by the ballerina’s story once she heard it.
Madonna, an artist and an activist who has faced difficulties herself, explained why Michaela’s story spoke to her when she announced her intentions to make a film about it. She said that this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to bring attention to Sierra Leone and provide Michaela a platform from which to speak on behalf of all the orphaned kids she knew growing up. She feels delighted that her narrative is going to be brought to life.
