Michaela Mabinty DePrince: 5 Things To Know About The Trailblazing Black Ballerina Who Died At 29 - Page 2

2. She made a triumphant move to the U.S.

At the age of 4, Michaela and her adoptive sister, Mia, who had also been in the orphanage, were taken in by Elaine DePrince and her husband. They moved to New Jersey, where they were provided with a nurturing and supportive environment. Michaela’s adoptive parents quickly recognized her passion for ballet and enrolled her in dance classes to help develop her skills. The stable and encouraging setting allowed her to pursue ballet professionally.

According to her website, the iconic dancer studied at the Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at the American Ballet Theatre, where she became a protege of ballet icon Misty Copeland.

Michaela worked tirelessly to hone and refine her skills so she could overcome the multitude of stereotypes tied to conventional beauty and racial barriers in the predominately white world of ballet. While reflecting on the young dancer’s short yet incredible impact in an Instagram post published Sept. 14, Copeland said “colorism” was an issue that Michaela faced several times throughout her career. 

“She was a prodigious talent and the first darker-skinned dancer I witnessed come through the program. Colorism is without a doubt an issue in the professional ballet world, and her vitiligo differentiated her aesthetic even further,” Copeland penned. “As the audition season ended, I was shocked that she didn’t receive a company contract, as she was the brightest star to come out of the school.”

Despite facing adversity, Michaela went on to become the youngest principal dancer to attend the prestigious Dance Theatre of Harlem, thanks to a recommendation from Copeland.

“After her year at DTH and a tour abroad, her trajectory outside the ballet world began to skyrocket,” Copeland said of the Sierra Leone native.