From African orphan to American ballerina

Professional dancer in Harlem wants to set an example to young black dancers and challenge stereotypes.

Orphan from Sierra Leone defies the odds, dreams of becoming a professional ballerina

Michaela DePrince is a professional ballerina currently with the Dance Theatre of Harlem company, who was adopted as a young child from Africa by a US family.

She lost both her parents during the war in Sierra Leone and was taken in by a couple from New Jersey.

Now she is a professional dancer in Harlem and wants to set an example to other young black ballerinas while challenging long-held stereotypes.

Al Jazeera’s Cath Turner reports from New York.