The amazing true story of how an orphan from Sierra Leone has become a major US ballet star. Michaela DePrince’s life began in a country wracked by conflict. Her parents died when she was a baby. Placed in an orphanage by her cruel uncle she saw acts of unspeakable violence all around her but was saved herself by the care and wisdom of the owner of the orphanage who found adoptive US parents for the children in his charge. Together with her friend from Sierra Leone, Michaela was adopted by a remarkable family who not only gave them a home but also enabled Michaela to fulfil her dream of becoming a ballet dancer. Michaela and her adoptive mother tell their story with energy and good humour. ~ Julia Eccleshare
Hope in a Ballet Shoe Orphaned by War, Saved by Ballet: An Extraordinary True Story Synopsis
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.
Michaela DePrince was born in 1995 in Sierra Leone. After the deaths of her parents, she moved to an orphanage from which she was adopted and taken to the US in 1999. Michaela is now a professional ballerina and dances with The Dutch National Ballet. She is recognised throughout the world as an inspirational woman: she featured in Huffington Post's Most Amazing Young People of the Year and Newsweek's 125 Women of Impact and has spoken at the United Nations.
