Elaine & Michaela DePrince

Elaine DePrince is the co-author along with her daughter, Michaela DePrince, of Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina, and Ballerina Dreams: From Orphan to Dancer (Knopf). A graduate of Rutgers University and former special education teacher, Elaine, after raising five sons, adopted a child from war-torn West Africa. She often says that the need was so great that she ended up with six West African daughters.

Michaela DePrince studied on scholarship at the Rock School for Dance Education and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at the American Ballet Theatre. She was named the youngest principal dancer for the Dance Theatre of Harlem and is currently dancing with the Dutch National Ballet, one of the top classical ballet companies in the world. Michaela starred in the ballet documentary First Position, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. She has also appeared on Dancing with the Stars, Good Morning America, Nightline, the BBC, and news programs in the United States and internationally. Along with her mother, Elaine DePrince, Michaela co-authored Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina, and Ballerina Dreams: From Orphan to Dancer (Knopf). Visit the Taking Flight website to learn more and watch the book trailer, here.

Watch Michaela’s TED Talk in Amsterdam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fh5kiTn0P4Y

Listen to Michaela on Publishers Weekly Radio: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/podcasts/index.html?channel=8&podcast=322

Praise for TAKING FLIGHT:

“A story of great courage that all women—young and old—should read.” —Tina Brown

“Michaela is nothing short of a miracle, born to be a ballerina. For every young brown, yellow, and purple dancer, she is an inspiration!” —Misty Copeland, world-renowned ballet dance