1. In 2012, Michaela DePrince danced with the Dance Theatre of Harlem as the youngest dancer in the history of the company.
22 Facts About Michaela DePrince
1. 2.
Michaela DePrince was given the new name Michaela Mabinty DePrince, named after Michael, an adopted son of the DePrinces who had died of AIDS during the hemophilia blood product contamination crisis.
3.
Michaela DePrince trained in classical ballet at The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
4.
Michaela DePrince pursued a professional career despite encountering instances of racial discrimination.
5.
Michaela DePrince was one of the stars of the 2011 documentary film First Position, which follows six young dancers vying for a place in an elite ballet company or school at the Youth America Grand Prix.
6.
Michaela DePrince was awarded a scholarship to study at the American Ballet Theatre's Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of Ballet.
7.
Michaela DePrince performed on the television program Dancing with the Stars.
8.
Michaela DePrince returned a year later to dance the Sugar Plum Fairy in Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker at the Lucent Dance Theatre.
9.
In 2012, Michaela DePrince graduated from the American Ballet Theatre's Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in New York City, and joined the Dance Theatre of Harlem, where she was the youngest member of the company.
10.
Michaela DePrince cited Lauren Anderson, one of the first Black American principal ballerinas, as her role model.
11.
In 2015, MGM acquired the film rights to Michaela DePrince's book Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina.
12.
In 2019, Michaela DePrince produced a gala for War Child Holland, which raised more than half a million dollars for children and youth affected by armed conflict.
13.
In September 2020, Michaela DePrince announced that she was taking a leave of absence from the Dutch National Ballet.
14.
Michaela DePrince started online coaching sessions with Charla Genn, a faculty member at the Juilliard School.
15.
Michaela DePrince danced the leading role in Coppelia, a 2021 ballet film without dialogue that combines live dance with animation.
16.
In 2021, Michaela DePrince joined the Boston Ballet as second soloist.
17.
Michaela DePrince was drawn to the Boston Ballet due to the company having many talented Black dancers, its culture, and its repertoire.
18.
In 2015, it was reported that Michaela DePrince was in a relationship with ballet dancer Skyler Maxey-Wert, whom she talked about in her book.
19.
Michaela DePrince died in New York City on September 10,2024, at the age of 29.
20.
Michaela DePrince's death was announced three days later via her Instagram page and the Dutch National Opera website.
21.
Michaela DePrince died one day before her adoptive mother, Elaine, died from heart failure.
22.
Michaela DePrince's mother had not been made aware of Michaela's death, and Michaela had not been aware of the sudden decline in her mother's health.