I love to share ballet history here on An Historian About Town- I’ve shared the general history of ballet, as well as notable figures, and the history of several popular ballets. On Friday, it was shared that Michaela dePrince had passed away, and I felt that it was important to recognise her history-making life and career here. dePrince was a true leader on the stage and her incredible rise in ballet in the spotlight has a strong place in modern ballet history. (If you have seen the well-known documentary First Position, you have seen her!) Today, we will look at Michaela dePrince’s life and legacy.
Who Was Michaela dePrince?
As I mentioned above, Michaela dePrince was one of the young dancers featured in First Position, a 2011 documentary following several dancers as they competed at the Youth America Grand Prix (a major ballet competition).
dePrince was born as Mabinty Magura in Sierra Leone. Her parents had both died and a family member brought her to an orphanage; it was at the orphanage that she first encountered ballet, on the cover of a magazine. She suffered from vitiligo, an autoimmune disorder where patches of skin will lose some or all of the pigment, and because of it, she was often shunned.
She and another girl were adopted together in 1999 by an American couple, Charles and Elaine dePrince, and moved to New Jersey.
She began studying ballet in the US and studied at The Rock School School of Dance Education; her talent and training led to her an impressive career.
dePrince’s Dance Training and Career
As you see in First Position, dePrince won a scholarship to study at the American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, one of the most prestigious ballet schools in the US. She graduated in 2012 and joined the Dance Theatre of Harlem as the company’s youngest member.
dePrince faced racism throughout her dance training and career- when she won the coveted role as Marie in The Nutcracker as a younger child, she wasn’t allowed to perform as teachers thought that audiences would not accept a black dancer in the role.
In 2013, dePrince joined the Het Nationale Ballet (Dutch National Ballet)’s junior company and then the main company a year later. Although she progressed through the company, she also faced racism while there- she spoke extensively on racial barriers in ballet during this time, and the struggles that black dancers faced.
In 2021, she then joined the Boston Ballet as a second soloist.
Michaela dePrince’s Life and Legacy
dePrince was known outside of the ballet world for dancing in Beyonce’s music video for “Lemonade”. However, she was hugely important in the world of ballet. As dePrince acknowledged many times, young black dancers have so few professionals to look up to- she was an incredible role model for young dancers everywhere.
She also fought against prevailing racism in the ballet world, as difficult and tiring as that was. Professional dancers have still been told within the last decade to lighten their skin, and she continued to bring these issues into the spotlight. Though it absolutely was not her responsibility, she used her platform to continually raise awareness.
I firmly believe that future ballet historians will consider her a significant figure in ballet history. Although her life ended tragically early, she left an incredible mark on ballet. We have lost an immense talent, and the ballet world will absolutely feel this loss.
Cheers,
The Historian
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My heart is broken 💔. I’ve watched this young lady from an early age. She was perfection. I’m so saddened by her passing. She will be EXTREMELY missed. 😔 😢