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Question

professional stage debut is a huge event in the life of any
ballerina, but Michaela DePrince’s recent tour of South
Africa also marked the end of an extraordinary journey from her
childhood as a war orphan in Sierra Leone.
“I got out of a terrible place,” says DePrince. “I had no idea I
would be here—I’m living my dream every single day.”
She was born in Sierra Leone in 1995. Her parents named her
Mabinty, but after they both died during the civil war, she was
sent to an orphanage, where she became a number.
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MAGAZINE ARTICLE
Michaela
DePrince:
The War Orphan
Who Became a
Ballerina
William Kremer
Michaela DePrince: The War Orphan Who Became a Ballerina 51

Copyright © Savvas Learning Company LLC. All Rights Reserved.
NOTES
“They named us from one to 27,” she recalls. “One was the
favorite child of the orphanage and 27 was the least favorite.”
DePrince was number 27, because she suffers from vitiligo,
a condition in which patches of skin lose pigmentation.
1 To
the “Aunties” who ran the orphanage, it was evidence of the
evil spirit within the three-year-old. She still recalls the fierce
antagonism of the women.
“They thought of me as a devil’s child. They told me every day
how I wasn’t going to get adopted, because nobody would want a
devil’s child,” she says.
Although the other girls in the orphanage were encouraged not
to play with her, DePrince formed a close friendship with child
number 26, also called Mabinty, who was disliked by the Aunties
because she was left-handed.
The pair shared a sleeping mat. At night, when Michaela had
bad dreams, her “mat-mate” would soothe her with kind words
and stories.
* * *
Her memories of early childhood are fragmentary—moments
of piercing clarity which have been reassembled in date order. She
believes it was soon after witnessing the killing of her teacher that
she stumbled upon something that was to shape the rest of her
life—a discarded magazine.
“There was a lady on it, she was on her tippy-toes, in this pink,
beautiful tutu. I had never seen anything like this—a costume that
stuck out with glitter on it, with just so much beauty. I could just
see the beauty in that person and the hope and the love and just
everything that I didn’t have.
“And I just thought: ‘Wow! This is what I want to be.’”
DePrince ripped the photograph out of the magazine and, for
the lack of anywhere else to keep it, stuffed the treasured scrap in
her underwear.
One day, the orphanage was warned it would be bombed
and the children were marched to a distant refugee camp. Here
DePrince learned that her beloved mat-mate was to be adopted.
An American woman, Elaine DePrince, had come to the camp to
adopt child number 26, now called Mia. For a moment, Michaela
was distraught because she believed that all the other children
would be taken to new homes and she would be left behind.
1. pigmentation (pihg muhn TAY shuhn) n. natural coloring.
4
5
Mark context clues or indicate
another strategy you used that
helped you determine meaning.
antagonism (an TAG uh nihz
uhm) n
.
MEANING:
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13
Mark context clues or indicate
another strategy you used that
helped you determine meaning.
refugee (rehf yoo JEE) n
.
MEANING:
14
distraught (dihs TRAWT) adj
.
MEANING:
52 UNIT 1 • CHILDHOOD
Copyright © Savvas Learning Company LLC. All Rights Reserved.
NOTES
But abruptly there was a change of plan. When the Aunties told
Elaine DePrince that Michaela was unlikely to find another home,
she decided to adopt both girls.
Michaela remembers struggling to understand what was
happening. She was intoxicated
2
by the American woman with
her

dazzling blonde hair, but there was something else on her
mind too.
“I was looking at people’s feet because I thought: ‘Everyone
has to have [ballet] pointe shoes, they have to have pointe shoes
because these are people from the US!’”
Not only was Elaine not wearing any pointe shoes, but as
Michaela found when she looked through her suitcase that night,
she had none in her luggage either.
Her new mother quickly noticed Michaela’s obsession with
ballet.
“We found a Nutcracker3 video and I watched it 150 times,”
Michaela says.
When they finally went to see a stage performance, she was
able to point out to her mother the places where dancers had
missed their steps.
Elaine enrolled five-year-old Michaela in the Rock School of
Dance in Philadelphia, making the 45-minute drive from New
Jersey every day.
But DePrince remained a shy girl, painfully self-conscious of
her vitiligo. “That was all I would think about when I was on
stage. I had trouble looking at myself in the mirror,” she says.
Instead of glorying in the glittery tutus and bodices that had
drawn her to ballet, she covered herself up whenever possible
with turtleneck sweaters.
One day, DePrince asked one of her ballet teachers if she
thought her skin condition might hold back her career. The teacher
asked her what she was talking about. She hadn’t even noticed the
pale patches on her skin—she’d just been watching her steps. That
was a significant moment for her.
But, she says, being a black ballet dancer is hard, even in the US.
She thinks the problem is that in the corps de ballet—the group
of ballerinas who are not soloists—girls are supposed to look the
same.
2. intoxicated (ihn TOK sih kay tihd) adj. overwhelmed and excited.
3. [The] Nutcracker popular ballet with music by the famous Russian composer Peter Illyich
Tchaikovsyk (1840–1893).
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Michaela DePrince: The War Orphan Who Became a Ballerina 53
Discuss It How does viewing this video add to
your understanding of the difficulties Michaela faced as
a child?
Write your response before sharing your ideas.
Michaela DePrince—Ballet Dancer
MEDIA CONNECTION
Copyright © Savvas Learning Company LLC. All Rights Reserved.
NOTES
“It is a challenge,” she says. “If you look at [ballet] companies
you won’t really see any black girls. You might see a mixed-race
girl but there are only one or two black soloists in the whole U.S.”
Now 17, DePrince recently completed a tour with the Dance
Theater of Harlem, many of whose dancers are African American,
or mixed-race.
“I have become more upbeat—I used to be very shy,” she says.
“Now I’ve grown up and I’m so happy with the way things are
turning out.”
write me an essay about her life

Answer 1

The Extraordinary Journey of Michaela DePrince: From War Orphan to Celebrated Ballerina

Michaela DePrince's life story is one of resilience, determination, and the transformative power of dreams. Born in Sierra Leone in 1995 amidst a brutal civil war, her early years were marked by tragedy and adversity. Orphaned by the deaths of her parents and cast aside in an orphanage, Michaela faced immense challenges, not only as a war orphan but also as a child burdened with vitiligo, a skin condition that made her a target for prejudice and rejection. Despite these daunting circumstances, her journey from the depths of despair to the heights of success as a professional ballerina is both inspiring and compelling.

As a child, Michaela was treated as an outcast at the orphanage, where she was labeled as "number 27"—the least favorite among the children due to her appearance. The "Aunties" who ran the orphanage viewed her vitiligo as a sign of evil, fostering a climate of antagonism that made her feel like an outsider. Yet, amidst the cruelty, Michaela found solace in her friendship with another orphan named Mabinty, who understood her plight. It was during this time that Michaela discovered a glimmer of hope: a magazine page featuring a ballerina in a pink tutu. Captivated by the beauty and grace of ballet, she resolved to pursue her dream, clinging to the image as a source of inspiration and hope.

A pivotal moment in Michaela's life occurred when Elaine DePrince, an American woman, came to the refugee camp to adopt Mabinty. Fortunately, Elaine chose to adopt both girls, bringing them to the United States. This life-altering decision opened the door for Michaela to explore her passion for ballet. Although she arrived in America with a sense of excitement, she also struggled with her identity and the remnants of her past. Initial glimpses of American culture left her feeling out of place, particularly when it came to ballet. She envisioned herself in pointe shoes, a symbol of belonging, yet felt invisible due to her appearance.

With the support of her adoptive mother, Michaela was enrolled in a dance school, where her talent blossomed. Yet, the journey was not without challenges. She battled self-consciousness stemming from her vitiligo and the additional hurdle of being a black ballerina in a predominantly white industry. She often grappled with feelings of inadequacy, believing that her appearance might hinder her aspirations. However, a turning point came when a ballet teacher reassured her that her talent was what mattered most, enabling her to shift her focus from self-doubt to mastery of her craft.

Michaela's tenacity propelled her forward as she continued to pursue her dream. She faced the stark reality of racial disparities in ballet, noting the scarcity of black dancers in professional companies. Despite this, she found her place with the Dance Theater of Harlem, a company that embraced diversity and celebrated her unique background. Through hard work and dedication, Michaela transformed from a shy girl into a confident performer, illuminating stages and inspiring others with her success.

As of now, Michaela DePrince represents more than just a talented ballerina; she embodies the idea that one can overcome life's adversities through passion and perseverance. Her story serves as a testament to the human spirit's ability to rise above challenges, reminding us that beauty comes in many forms and that dreams can be achieved regardless of one's past. Through her journey from a war orphan to a celebrated ballerina, Michaela is not only living her dream but also paving the way for future generations of dancers who may face similar obstacles.

In conclusion, Michaela DePrince's life is an inspiring narrative of resilience, hope, and the pursuit of dreams. She showcases that even in the darkest of circumstances, the light of passion and determination can break through, transforming lives and creating a legacy that inspires others. As she continues to dance and share her story, Michaela remains an emblem of hope and a catalyst for change, advocating for diversity and inclusion within the world of ballet and beyond.