Michaela DePrince was born in Sierra Leone in 1995 during the civil war. At age three, she lost both her parents and was sent to an orphanage where she was mistreated by staff who believed she was the “devil's child” due to her pigmented skin (caused by vitiligo).

DePrince was born in Sierra Leone in West Africa. She lost both of her parents during the civil war at the age of three and was left in an orphanage where she says she was taunted, neglected and abused. "It was a moment where I just felt helpless. I had nothing," DePrince said.

BLACK BALLERINA is a story of passion, opportunity, heartbreak and triumph of the human spirit. Set in the overwhelmingly white world of classical dance, it tells the stories of several black women from different generations who fell in love with ballet.

Inspired by a magazine cover of a ballerina she found and kept while in Sierra Leone, DePrince trained as a ballet dancer in the U.S, performing at the Youth America Grand Prix among other competitions. She trained in classical ballet at The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

4 years old I thought people would hate me for my skin condition. I thought that was going to be the only issue -- not because I was a black girl. I was adopted when I was 4 years old with my best friend, Mia.

To “NEVER EVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS” This movie paints a picture of a poor little girl struggling in life, lost … nobody but look at her, persistent and courageous despite of her age. She used her strength in the hopes to achieve her dreams.

Ashley Benefield's defense team filed a motion on Thursday in a Florida courtroom asking the judge to have the second-degree murder charges dropped. Lawyers argued that Ashley was a battered wife and shot her husband Douglas Benefield in self-defense.

In "Michaela DePrince: The War Orphan Who Became a Ballerina," why did the Aunties dislike DePrince? She had a skin condition.

Moving between the trio's adolescent years and the present day, The Ballerinas explores the complexities of female friendship, the dark drive towards physical perfection in the name of artistic expression, the double-edged sword of ambition and passion, and the sublimated rage that so many women hold inside––all ...

Story ballets (not surprisingly!) tell a story. They contain narrative action, characters, a beginning and an end. The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty are famous story ballets from the 19th century; classic stories and novels such as The Great Gatsby and The Three Musketeers also have been transformed into ballets.

Heidi Noelle Guenther Heidi Noelle Guenther (January 11, 1975 – June 30, 1997) was an American ballerina from 1981 to her death in 1997. Guenther died from cardiac arrest which was believed to be caused by her eating disorder.

Marta Cinta González Saldaña This is one of those. Marta Cinta González Saldaña was an accomplished ballerina when she was young. Now, in her waning years, she suffers from Alzheimer's. A viral video of González Saldaña shows how she reacts to hearing the music from Swan Lake - a ballet she had performed decades ago.