Within this life, some people leave their mark on this world differently. A few through the words they say, others through the actions they make and some through the steps they take. One person who continued to make every step count and chose to leave behind a legacy of greatness is Michaela DePrince.
The Beginning
DePrince’s journey as a dancer and activist started very early on through tumultuous times. She was born during a period of turmoil in war-torn Sierra Leone. The Rebels killed her father, and after a short period, her mother died of fever and starvation. As she began to grow, DePrince learned that she had vitiligo. The condition causes you to have patches of skin to lose its color.
In Michaela’s motherland, vitiligo was widely considered a curse of the devil and thus, her uncle abandoned her at an orphanage. It was there where Michaela bore the brunt of relentless taunts, neglect, and abuse; being deemed “the devil’s child.”
Michaela Deprince life growing up in Sierra Leone
She was then taken out of Sierra Leone after she found a magazine depicting a ballerina en pointe and from there she knew dance was her calling. After being adopted into the United States her new-found family knew that the spark in her came from something different… dance.
Life Taking Flight
While attending a Dance Education School Philadelphia and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at the American Ballet Theatre, DePrince worked day and night honing in on her craft and the skillset she would need to take on the world.
But the ballet world has not always been kind to Black women from the pink “nude” tights dancers wear to the demonization of coarser hair in the field. But DePrince wanted to change this narrative to help push forward the conversation of Black women in the dance field thriving. Each step towards progress Black women make in creating a safe space for Black.
After Michaela was featured in the ballet documentary, First Position, Michaela debuted professionally as a guest principal at the Joburg Ballet in South Africa. She also famously appeared on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. At the age of 17, Michaela performed with the Dance Theatre of Harlem. A year later, she joined the Dutch National Junior Company, as a second-year member and apprentice to the main company.
Michaela DePrince early career
But DePrince’s impact she made on this world stems not just in the dance world but beyond. Not only did she get to dance and create movement for Beyonce, starred in a ballet film and even became an Ambassador for War Child Holland. Time Magazine also awarded Michaela on its list of Inspiring Women in the World in 2013.
The Legacy
On 10 September Michaela DePrince passed away. Currently, it is not being reported how she passed, however, it was announced on 13 September by her family in a statement on Instagram. One day later, DePrince’s family revealed that Elaine DePrince, her adopted mother, died on 11 September during a routine procedure in preparation for surgery.
While the journey might have ended for Michaela DePrince here, her legacy and the steps she has taken to create a lifelong change in the dance community. Rest in Power, Miss DePrince.
