Michaela Mabinty DePrince, a former dancer for the prestigious Boston Ballet and a champion for diversity in the arts, passed away at age 29 on Sept. 10. DePrince was an inspiration to countless dancers and artists around the world for her exceptional work both on and off the stage.
“I personally felt Michaela was a beautiful dancer and truly inspiring in her ability to break through glass ceilings,” Beth Mochizuki, artistic director at the Asian American Ballet Project, told the Sampan after the news of DePrince’s death.
To many, DePrince was a beacon of excellence in her field, having overcome significant challenges in her journey as a dancer. DePrince was born Mabinty Bangura in war-torn Kenema, Sierra Leone, and lost both her parents at the age of three years old.
Throughout her childhood, DePrince also suffered from mistreatment due to her vitiligo, which is a genetic condition resulting in depigmented patches of skin.
Following the death of her parents, she was raised at a nearby orphanage, where her dream to become a ballet dancer was born. In an interview with ABC News in 2012, DePrince recollects, “I found a magazine that had a ballet dancer on point with a pink tutu. I saved it, and I thought to myself if I ever got adopted, I wanted to become just like this.”
She soon got that chance after being adopted by Elaine and Charles DePrince at the age of 4.
DePrince began her training as a ballerina at The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania while taking high school courses. She would continue her training at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre, where she would graduate from in 2012. DePrince would then join the Dance Theatre of Harlem as its youngest member. She would make her professional debut as a guest artist of the South African Ballet Theatre, playing the part of Gulnare in Le Corsaire.
DePrince would join the Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam in 2014, rising to the role of soloist only two years later. Notably, DePrince was the only African dancer within the company when she joined, reflecting a lack of Black dancers in the field at large.
During her career, DePrince would also appear in many forms of popular media including starring in the documentary First Position at the age of 16. DePrince would also be featured in Dancing with the Stars. In 2016, DePrince performed in part of Beyonce’s “Lemonade” music video.
While with the Dutch National Ballet, DePrince suffered an injury that would lead her to reevaluate her mental health, according to press reports. She had spent a good portion of her time not only dancing but also giving speeches and starring in music videos, which had reportedly become overwhelming. In an interview with Pointe Magazine in 2021, DePrince spoke on the situation, saying, “It just became kind of a lot… When I would be doing too much, I felt like a fraud, like I wasn’t fully there. I wasn’t fully committed, because I was being pulled in so many directions. Over the past few years, I have been trying to slow down… If I hadn’t ruptured my Achilles, I don’t think I would have had the time and space to be able to know how important my mental health was.”
DePrince’s adoptive father, Charles DePrince, passed away in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, leading to further mental health strain due to travel restrictions.
DePrince would then join the Boston Ballet as a second soloist in 2021 after healing from her injury, looking to recenter her personal health and career. She noted that one of the draws of the Boston Ballet was the fact that 15% of the dancers are Black, including several notable soloists. She would stay with the Boston Ballet until 2024.
Throughout her life, Michaela DePrince was a vocal advocate for increased diversity in ballet and the arts. During her career, DePrince was one of the few prominent Black ballerinas well-known on the global stage and worked to break down barriers for future Black dancers. In a statement reported in the Miami Herald in 2012, DePrince was once told at the age of 8 that “America’s not ready for a black girl ballerina.” Recounting how crushing it was to hear such a statement, DePrince worked to advocate for having more Black and brown dancers, stating that her passion was to “spread more poppies in a field of daffodils.”
In addition, DePrince worked as an ambassador for War Child Holland, a non-profit organization focused on supporting children caught in global wartime conflicts. She worked to organize a gala that raised half a million dollars for this cause.
Following her passing, Michaela DePrince leaves behind a legacy of greatness as both a dancer and an inspiration for future generations. In a statement from Boston Ballet Executive Director Ming Min Hui, “Mabinty was just as beautiful on the stage as she was off. She was an advocate for what ballet can be, as a much bigger art form and a much bigger source of inspiration and hope for people. She was brave in being willing to share not only her artistry but also her story with the world.”
DePrince leaves behind 7 siblings. In a statement from her sister, Mia Mabinty DePrince, the family urges well-wishers mourning her loss to send money to the War Child organization Michaela worked closely with during her career instead of sending flowers. Even after her passing, the memory of Michaela Mabinty DePrince will serve to support others, helping children in war-torn areas to achieve their dreams much like she did.
