Lifestyle
Pioneering ballerina Michaela DePrince dies at 29
Ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince, an inspirational and pioneering figure in the dance world, has died at age 29 of undisclosed causes.
Her death was announced via her Instagram by a spokesperson on Friday. “Her unwavering commitment to her art, her humanitarian efforts, and her courage in overcoming unimaginable challenges will forever inspire us,” read the caption.
Her siblings also released a statement on Facebook, noting her influence as a dancer: “Her passion and impact on the dance world, especially in inspiring young Black dancers to pursue their dreams, has been tremendous.”
DePrince, born Mabinty Bangura in Sierra Leone, lost both her parents as a toddler during the country’s civil war. Her passion for dance began early. In her memoir, Taking Flight, she writes that she danced in her “bare toes in the mud” during the rainy season.
During her time at an orphanage, she remembered being called “the devil’s child” because of vitiligo, a condition that left patches of her skin without pigmentation, the BBC reported in 2012. At age four, an American family adopted her and she moved to New Jersey, where she started taking ballet lessons.
From a young age, she captivated audiences with her appearance in the ballet documentary, First Position. DePrince’s mother, Elaine DePrince, made most of her daughter’s costumes at that time, NPR reported in 2012.
DePrince made her professional debut with the Joburg Ballet in South Africa and then became the youngest principal dancer at the Dance Theatre of Harlem. In 2021, she joined Boston Ballet as a second soloist. She appeared on the TV show Dancing With The Stars and performed in Beyoncé’s music video album, Lemonade. DePrince was also an ambassador of War Child, a nonprofit that helps children living in war-affected countries.
In an Instagram post, ballet dancer Misty Copeland remembers DePrince as “a prodigious talent” who remained determined even when told “ ‘the world wasn’t ready for Black ballerinas’ or that ‘Black ballerinas weren’t worth investing money in.’ ”
In the statement announcing her death, DePrince is described as “a beacon of hope for many, showing that no matter the obstacles, beauty and greatness can rise from the darkest of places.”
Lifestyle
The curious Lincolnshire case of a trapped otter and a sleepy fox
A team of wildlife rescuers had an interesting evening when they attended callouts to two unusual cases within a matter of hours.
Cleethorpes Wildlife Rescue was called to Wragby, Lincolnshire, to help a baby otter trapped in a car engine.
The team also went to the aid of a family from Grimsby who found a fox fast asleep in their living room.
Aaron Goss, lead rescuer at the group, described Thursday evening as “the strangest start to the weekend we’ve ever had”.
He added: “We don’t get many super unique cases like this, let alone two in the same day. But when it rains it pours, and we’re prepared for most things.
“Hopefully our volunteers had a very exciting day!”
Mr Goss said it took a lot of work to get the otter – who was too young to be separated from his mother – out of the engine.
The team used a large deer net to help trap him.
He has been named Oakley and been transferred to the RSPCA East Winch Wildlife Centre, near King’s Lynn, Norfolk, for rehabilitation.
Mr Goss said finding an otter in an engine was not something they had come across before, with squirrels the animals most likely to be found under the bonnet.
Mr Goss said the rescue of the fox, Duke, was also “an odd case”, as he had not been fed by the family but had been asleep in their home “for a few hours”.
The family were alerted to his presence only when they heard the sound of breathing from behind a cabinet in the corner of the room.
After he was safely trapped, Duke was taken to the wildlife sanctuary to be treated for mange.
“Fortunately, it looks like it was just a mistake by the fox,” said Mr Goss.
“He is very well orientated and is enjoying an all-you-can-eat buffet, and will be released soon.”
Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Lifestyle
Sunday Puzzle: Two letters are all you need
On-air challenge: I’m going to give you some four-letter words. In each case, the first two letters are the first two letters of a well-known U.S. city, The last two letters are that city’s state postal abbreviation.
Ex. SAGA — Savannah, Georgia
- GAIN
- DECO
- LINE
- JAMS
- LIAR
- BIND
- NOVA
- POOR
- POME
- PONY
- LOCA
Last week’s challenge: Last week’s challenge comes from listener Michael Schwartz, of Florence, Ore. Take the name of a watercraft that contains an odd number of letters. Remove the middle letter and rearrange the remaining ones to name a body of water. What words are these?
Challenge answer: Gondola –> lagoon
Winner: Ann Kritzer of Coral Springs, Florida
This week’s challenge: This week’s challenge comes from listener Rawson Scheinberg, of Northville, Mich. Name a U.S. state capital. Then name a world capital. Say these names one after the over and phonetically you’ll get an expensive dinner entree. What is it?
Submit Your Answer
If you know the answer to the challenge, submit it here by Thursday, September 12th, 2024 at 3 p.m. ET. Listeners whose answers are selected win a chance to play the on-air puzzle. Important: include a phone number where we can reach you.
Lifestyle
Jane's Addiction Apologizes To Fans After Fight Onstage In Boston
Jane’s Addiction is saying sorry to their fans after two members of the band got into a fight onstage during their Massachusetts concert.
The rock group posted a brief but “heartfelt apology” on Instagram, while also announcing they were canceling their next gig in Bridgeport, Connecticut on October 16.
What’s more, they provided details on how people who attended Friday’s disastrous performance could get refunds.
TMZ.com
9/13/24
TMZ obtained an exclusive video showing the altercation between lead singer Perry Farrell and guitarist Dave Navarro onstage at Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston.
During Dave’s solo, Perry gave him a body check and threw a punch at him, but only hit his guitar. The road crew jumped in and dragged Perry away from Dave, ending the show on a sour note.
Perry’s wife, Etty, posted her own IG message after the brawl, saying there’s been tension among the band members for a while, placing much of the blame at the feet of bassist Eric Avery. Etty accused Eric of getting in cheap shots during the battle between Perry and Dave.
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