Balletfanp Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 Shocking news on her Instagram and a few other places that Michaela DePrince has died at the age of 29. No information on what happened. Just awful 😢.  https://www.instagram.com/p/C_3WuKCxYQM/?igsh=cXB3NmxndzU2c3Zj 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiari Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 I'm shocked, she was so young. My deepest condolences to all her loved ones. May you rest in peace Michaela 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiz Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 Oh no, how shocking! Rest in peace and rise in glory. My condolences to her family and friends. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 Oh my gosh. I saw her dance a couple of years ago.  How very sad and heartbreaking.  My deepest condolences to her family and friends. 😢 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango Dancer Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 So said, I saw her speaking before and she seemed like a really intelligent and brave woman. It's so sad losing someone so talented and young.  5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shade Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 How very sad 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borzoi Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 Utterly shocked by this news! Sincere condolences to her family. She was an inspiration to so many young women. A tragic loss... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneL Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 12 minutes ago, Borzoi said: Utterly shocked by this news! Sincere condolences to her family. She was an inspiration to so many young women. A tragic loss... Absolutely. It’s devastating news. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 (edited) This news just came up on my news feed on FB posted by her team/agent and Boston Ballet posted it too.  I bought her book after seeing her in First Position (the YAGP documentary) and saw her dance Myrtha with ENB at the Coliseum. I believe she was only 22 when she danced Myrtha and she more than held her own next to older and experienced colleagues- she really embodied that fearsome Queen of the Wilis (also impressive considering that Michaela wasn't a tall ballerina and tall dancers are often cast in the role).  She was also memorable in a supporting role in the tv broadcast of Dutch National Ballet's Mata Hari. I also loved her sparkling performance as Swanilda in the film adaptation of Coppelia with Daniel Camargo, Vito Mazzeo, Darcey Bussell, Irek Mukhamedov and Dutch National Ballet colleagues.  Boston Ballet colleagues and former ABT Studio Company colleagues have posted condolences and there is a moving long tribute from Dutch National Ballet.  I still can't believe it. She was still so young. Such a brave, inspiring person - if you haven't read her memoir, Taking Flight, of surviving the civil war in Sierra Leone, being orphaned, her tough childhood in the orphanage, and her lovely, wise and remarkable adoptive parents.....try and get it out of the library or buy a copy- an absolute must read for anyone who follows ballet. After all she went through, the people dear to her she lost, the hurdles she overcame.....I can't believe we have now lost Michaela too. My condolences to her loved ones. 😔 😥 Rest in power, Michaela. 💜 Edited September 13 by Emeralds 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 I saw her dance so joyfully in The Coppélia Movie with Daniel Camargo, production of Dutch National.  Darcey Bussell and Irek Mukhamedov in supporting roles.   Rehearsal clips here https://www.instagram.com/p/C_3ckcVJ8lk/?igsh=MTRidXM1a3B1emVlMQ== 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 (edited) Oh no shocking news what on Earth happened? I saw her originally  in the film First Position and then as Myrthe in Giselle and she was very good in the role. She always looked amazing in videos and was an inspiration to many young dancers. How very sad for her friends and family. A real loss to the Dance World.  Edited September 13 by LinMM 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 (edited) I seem to remember she guested as Myrtha with ENB.  Does anyone have more details and/or memories    https://pointemagazine.com/michaela-deprince-myrtha-giselle/#gsc.tab=0 Edited September 13 by FionaM 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 This is such dreadfully sad news. Â She has been taken far too young. Â I offer my sincere condolences to her family, friends and colleagues. Â RIP 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 (edited) 57 minutes ago, FionaM said: I seem to remember she guested as Myrtha with ENB.  Does anyone have more details and/or memories    https://pointemagazine.com/michaela-deprince-myrtha-giselle/#gsc.tab=0 I saw her- she was incredible. One of the best performances of the role I've ever seen. Powerful, but you still believe she is a wili who is light and can fly. No problems with any of the technical aspects of the role that I've seen even principals or soloists from famous companies struggle with. Her Giselle and Albrecht that night were Cojocaru and Hernandez respectively - Michaela was definitely the Queen in that forest! (OK, Alina and Isaac were still the leads but Michaela definitely ruled the otherworldly realm there. She held her own!) ENB still has a photo of her in a magnificent grand jete in that January 2017 season on Facebook. Edited September 13 by Emeralds 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela Essex Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 This is so terribly sad. I read her memoir which was inspiring and a true testament to her resilience and dedication. I saw her dance in the Coppelia film and she was such an absolute joy to watch. What an awful loss. Deepest condolences to her friends and family. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 (edited) Yes I agree I loved her in the role of Myrthe She was a very athletic dancer but this somehow didn’t get in the way of her being Myrthe ….she flew through the air and had a very commanding presence on stage. I still can’t believe she has died. I followed up the dancers in the film First Position for some years after the film. Hers was a particularly amazing story. I hope the film gets shown again soon. Miko Fogerty is now a Doctor.  Edited September 13 by LinMM 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Q Fan Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 Very sad to hear of Michaela's untimely passing. What a loss to the ballet world and indeed the humanitarian cause. I was lucky to see Michaela dance in both Amsterdam with DNB and in London as a guest with ENB as a wonderful Myrtha in Skeaping's Giselle. May she rest in peace/power💔🩰 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAB Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 I'm beyond shocked, after reading her autobiography I almost felt I knew her. Such a tragedy. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odyssey Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 This is terrible news. Such an amazing young woman. I had the privilege of interviewing her along with  her mum about the publication of her children’s book. The events in her early life were truly shocking and yet she came through and achieved so much in her short life. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
art_enthusiast Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 (edited) Absolutely shocked and devastated by this. I never saw her live but read her memoir, saw her in First Position where I think she performed with an injury because she didn’t want to drop out… what a terrible loss this is. Extreme condolences to her family who have already dealt with so much loss. Edited September 13 by art_enthusiast 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melody Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 That is so very, very sad. When someone with such talent and determination, who'd had to work so hard, dies so young, it's such a tragedy. Her poor parents must be devastated. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scheherezade Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 Truly shocked. May she rest in peace. My thoughts are with those who loved her. How heartbreaking for them. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCL Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 Such a wonderful dancer - I too saw her as Myrthe- Lauretta Summerscales and Xander Parish were Giselle and Albrecht. I felt so fortunate to see this cast. Such awful news. Rest in peace Michaela. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinquieme Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 Shocking. One of the few who broke through to become part of popular culture. Was she still with Boston Ballet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oncnp Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 Ballerina Michaela DePrince dies at 29 (gramilano.com) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 I am so happy that I have the memory of seeing her Myrthe twice. I booked especially for the nights she was dancing. After all the difficulties she had to bear as a child, after all her hard work to get to where she did, after all her wonderful humanitarian work…it makes her loss at such a young age even more tragic and unfair.  10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LACAD Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 12 minutes ago, Sim said: I am so happy that I have the memory of seeing her Myrthe twice. I booked especially for the nights she was dancing. After all the difficulties she had to bear as a child, after all her hard work to get to where she did, after all her wonderful humanitarian work…it makes her loss at such a young age even more tragic and unfair.  Unfair is exactly the word I was thinking of. I truly believe she could’ve grown to be a leader of the ballet world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophoife Posted September 14 Share Posted September 14 Incredibly sad. I remember her in First Position and then bought the book. Followed her through her time at HNB and Boston too. Never saw her live, sadly.  Her work with War Child was serious and dedicated (I have a friend who also works with them).  Rest in power and peace, Michaela. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odyssey Posted September 14 Share Posted September 14 This is one of the last interviews Michaela did reflecting on joining Boston Ballet. https://pointemagazine.com/michaela-deprince/#gsc.tab=0 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Estreiiita Posted September 14 Share Posted September 14 Such a huge loss, in such a young age! My deepest condolences to her family, friends and colleagues. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted September 14 Share Posted September 14 11 hours ago, Cinquieme said: Was she still with Boston Ballet? Michaela was with Boston Ballet until May this year.  11 hours ago, Melody said: Her poor parents must be devastated. Sadly, her adoptive father, Charles, passed away from complications related to Parkinson's Disease in June 2020. (She was very close to both her adoptive parents, who were wonderfully supportive of her right from the moment they met her- in his case, even before he met her but had only been told about her.) His death had been made more traumatic by the fact that she was unable to return home from Amsterdam to see him before he passed away, due to Covid restrictions and other difficulties that month. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted September 14 Share Posted September 14 Did she leave Boston Ballet then?  Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linnzi5 Posted September 14 Share Posted September 14 How terribly sad - and so, so young. Condolences to her family and friends 😢 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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