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Star NJ Ballerina Michaela DePrince Dead At 29

Michaela DePrince, a professional ballerina with roots in South Jersey and Philadelphia, has died at 29 years old.

Michaela DePrince

Michaela DePrince

Photo Credit: michaeladeprince Instagram

UPDATE: Late PA Ballerina Michaela DePrince's Mom Died Less Than 24 Hours After Her

Michaela's passing was announced in a post on her Instagram on Friday, Sept. 13, and has since been confirmed by the family to Daily Voice. The family says Michaela passed away on Tuesday, Sept. 10. 

A full statement from a representative of the family has been posted on Facebook. 

Born in Sierra Leone, Michaela was adopted by a Cherry Hill couple when she was 4 years old in 1999, after her parents were killed by rebels. She is one of 11 children, nine of whom were adopted.

Michaela trained at the Rock School for Dance Education (RSDE) in Philadelphia. She went on to dance in the Boston Ballet and starred in the documentary "First Position."

Michaela made history when she joined the Dance Theatre of Harlem, where she was the company's youngest member at 17 years old. She joined the junior company of the Dutch National Ballet two years later, where she'd been promoted multiple times, and in 2016, starred in a music video for Beyonce.

The cause of death was not immediately known.

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