On Sep. 13, 2024, the ballet world fell silent. Dance icon Michaela Mabinty DePrince was pronounced dead at age 29. Her life was an inspiration for dancers and artists alike, and her memory will forever be enshrined in all that she accomplished. Let’s take a moment to look into the impact DePrince had on and off stage.Â
As an orphan from war-torn Sierra Leone who lost her parents in the conflict, Michaela DePrince was adopted by a New Jersey couple, Elaine and Charles DePrince, when she was four to escape the atrocities of the war. Back in Sierra Leone, Michaela was considered a “devil child” because of her skin condition, vitiligo, which causes loss of pigment in patches.
While living in her Sierra Leone orphanage, she found a magazine cover of a ballerina, which inspired her to start dancing. Once she got to New Jersey, she knew she wanted to study dance. She started training in the U.S. and competed in the Youth American Grand Prix and other notable dance competitions. Her training became intense while training at the Rock School for Dance in Philadelphia. Her first glimpse into stardom was her feature in the documentary First Position, which followed six young ballerinas as they trained for the Youth American Grand Prix. Audiences fell in love with her story, and she captivated them with her incredible work ethic.Â
Along with attending the Rock School of Ballet in Philadelphia, she went to the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at the American Ballet Theatre in New York City. Even from an early age, her adoptive parents saw Michaela’s unique talent and realized ballet was her calling. Unfortunately, throughout her career, DePrince faced a lot of racial discrimination. Historically, in the U.S., careers in the arts, mainly theatre and dance, haven’t been very diverse. Only recently have the arts taken a positive turn to be more inclusive on larger stages.
In an article with The Guardian in 2012, DePrince expressed, “I would like to change the way people see Black dancers. I would hate to disappoint anyone.” DePrince has been a powerful figure for black ballerinas and dancers alike. She became a gateway for more dancewear stores to produce higher quality pointe and ballet shoes so that when dyed to match darker skin tones, they don’t fall apart.Â
Despite the setbacks she faced, her resilience showed through. During her time at the Rock School of Ballet, DePrince joined Johannesburg’s South African Mzansi Ballet in 2012 and 2013 as a guest dancer. DePrince began her professional career at just the age of 17 with the Dance Theatre of Harlem. The following year, she joined the Dutch National Junior Company as an apprentice to the company and went on to join the Boston Ballet in 2021 as a soloist. By 2015, DePrince was getting lead roles in various ballet’s defining her career and opening her up further to a public audience.
DePrince released her memoir titled Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina in 2014. Then, in 2016, DePrince starred in Beyonce’s music video, “Freedom,” where Beyonce sets the scene of a slavery-ridden America. DePrince is seen dancing during Kendrick Lamar’s verse as the epitome of elegance and strength. In 2021, DePrince starred in the family feature film Copellia, which premiered in France at the Annecy Festival.Â
Fairly early in her career, DePrince made it clear that she would be known as more than just a ballerina. Over the years, she went on to be an advocate for multiple causes, especially working with disadvantaged youth.Â
On her website, she mentioned, “Besides dancing, Michaela loves working alongside disadvantaged young people, with whom she shares her message of hard work, perseverance, and hope, encouraging them to dream big!”
In 2016, DePrince became an ambassador for the non-profit organization, War Child, where she shared her story of surviving in Sierra Leone and escaping to the United States. She used this as motivation to further support children impacted by war. DePrince went on to speak in an inspiring TedTalk and even got to sit down with former President Barack Obama at the Forward Leadership event. Her hard work never went unnoticed as she was awarded by Time Magazine an Inspiring Women in the World in 2013. She was named a 30 under 30 in Arts and Culture recipient in Forbes and has worked tirelessly with large brands and names in the arts industry.Â
DePrince’s life is an inspiration for dancers and non-dancers alike. She was given battles in life but came out victorious. DePrince was an incredible dancer who brought emotions to audiences with her movements. The dance world is forever grateful for the impact that DePrince has made. Just a day after her passing, her mother, Elaine, passed away during a routine surgery and hadn’t yet heard of her daughter’s passing before her own. Michaela DePrince is survived by her siblings Mia, Amie, Jaye, Mariel, Bee, Erik, and Adam. At this time, her cause of death is still unknown.