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Hope in a Ballet Shoe tells the story of Michaela DePrince. Growing up in war-torn Sierra Leone, she witnesses atrocities that no child ever should. Her father is killed by rebels and her mother dies of famine. Sent to an orphanage, Michaela is mistreated and she sees the brutal murder of her favourite teacher.
Michaela and her best friend are adopted by an American couple and Michaela begins to take dance lessons. But life in the States isn’t without difficulties. Unfortunately, tragedy can find its way to Michaela in America, too, and her past can feel like it’s haunting her. The world of ballet is a racist one, and Michaela has to fight for a place amongst the ballet elite, hearing the words ‘America’s not ready for a black girl ballerina.’
And yet . . . Today, Michaela DePrince is an international ballet star, dancing for The Dutch National Ballet at the age of nineteen. This is a heart-breaking, inspiring autobiography by a teenager who shows us that, beyond everything, there is always hope for a better future.
Elaine DePrince (1947-2024) was Michaela DePrince’s adoptive mother and co-author of Michaela’s memoir, Hope in a Ballet Shoe (and a version for younger readers, Ballerina Dreams). She was the author of Cry Bloody Murder: A Tale of Tainted Blood, as well as a songwriter and owner of Sweet Mocha Music LLC, an Indie record label and music publishing business. A graduate of Rutgers University…
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We are deeply saddened to learn about the recent passing of Michaela DePrince and her mother, Elaine DePrince. Our thoughts …