Michaela DePrince RIP

[Emeralds]

 

33 minutes ago, LinMM said:

Did she leave Boston Ballet then? 
 

I only know that she was second soloist with them till May this year (according to the Boston Ballet spokesperson). Michaela didn't mention it on her social media, although she did previously mention leaving Europe to return to the United States. 

 

Lovely tribute from ENB this morning. 

 

Pointe Magazine, Dance Magazine, YAGP, The Rock School (the first dance school that trained her), ABT, Joburg Ballet (she danced as a guest with them in 2013), and Dance Theatre of Harlem also posted tributes to her yesterday on social media. I wonder if Michaela knew how many people all over the world were touched and inspired by her story and her qualities. 

[Lisa O`Brien]

So shocked and saddened by this news. I only found out about it two hours ago. Can't stop thinking about it, to be honest. I'm trying not to cry. What a waste of an amazing, inspiring young lady.

[balletfanatic]

Oh this is so so devastating. I read her autobiography and was utterly captivated and inspired by her amazing story. I'm not the most emotional person but that book made me cry. What a wonderful person she was. I'm so so sorry to hear this dreadful news

[Missfrankiecat]

The world can ill-afford to lose a woman of such talent, courage and compassion at such a young age.  Very shocking.  May her memory be eternal.

[Blossom]

As everyone, completely shocked at the news. I can’t really explain how sad this makes me feel, she survived such a difficult early life and had such determination to become a ballerina, which she achieved. 
I had seen her dance with ENB in 2017 and her book is ready and waiting to be read. I’d hoped she might have been invited as one of the international dancers promised for Joseph Sissens’ Legacy…

[Jeannette]

I’m shocked and saddened to read this news of Michaela’s passing. May she Rest in Eternal Peace.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 15 by Jeannette

[invisiblecircus]

It has since been reported that Michaela's mother, Elaine DePrince, passed away 2 days after her daughter's death while in preparation for a routine medical procedure. She died without knowing of Michaela's passing and Michaela was not aware of her mother's sudden health decline at the time of her death on 10th September (not 13th as previously reported.)

[MAB]

Michaela's death was reported on BBC news last night and included a clip from the programme Hard Talk where she was interviewed by Stephen Sacher.  What a superb interviewee she was, serious and highly articulate.  Watching that I realized that she was an outstanding ambassador for the art of dance apart from being such a unique and wonderful performer.

[Balletfanp]

2 hours ago, invisiblecircus said:

It has since been reported that Michaela's mother, Elaine DePrince, passed away 2 days after her daughter's death while in preparation for a routine medical procedure. She died without knowing of Michaela's passing and Michaela was not aware of her mother's sudden health decline at the time of her death on 10th September (not 13th as previously reported.)

This just gets worse and worse…. what a terrible tragedy for the family to have two people taken from them at the same time.

[LinMM]

Yes it’s a truly tragic state of affairs for an obviously lovely caring family to have to go through 😥

 

[Terpsichore]

Michaela Mabinty DePrince meant a lot to me for reasons to which I have alluded but not spelt out in the most recent post to my blog. 

 

I first saw her in November 2013 shortly after she had joined the Junior Company of the Dutch National Ballet.  I reviewed the show for this website as well as for Tersichore.    I can't retrieve my post for Balletco Forum but I have found my own blog post in which I described her as "quite simply the most exciting dancer I have seen for a while".

I don't wear my heart on my sleeve and I don't follow celebs but I feel a personal loss on this occasion. 

 

[Emeralds]

Heartbreaking to read Mia DePrince's public post on her Instagram account about the unbelievably close timing but unrelated deaths of both Michaela and their adoptive mother Elaine.

 

For those who haven't read Michaela's book, Mia was Michaela's closest friend in the Sierra Leone orphanage who later became her adoptive sister too. They first got to know each other because both had the same first name, Mabinty. They were only renamed after adoption because Elaine and Charles DePrince realised that both girls would reply if they called "Mabinty" and nobody would know whom they were referring to. Mia and Michaela were very close (almost inseparable) at the orphanage and so were adopted together. 

 

Alongside the feelings of loss and sadness about what Michaela would have missed out on with her tragically early passing is a great sense of sorrow for Mia to have lost her oldest close friend and sister as well as her remaining parent, in such a short space of time. 

 

Misty Copeland has posted a video tribute to Michaela on Instagram (not on FB) and shared a little about how she knew Michaela and some challenges Michaela faced in the professional ballet world.

 

Scottish Ballet have also posted a lovely tribute to Michaela. I've also found one posted by a popular figure skating website. Michaela really touched so many people's lives. 

Edited Sunday at 13:06 by Emeralds

[Terpsichore]

Thanks for those references, Esmeralda.   I will read the tributes.   I already have the book.

I visited Sierra Leone several years after the war had ended but signs of devastation were everywhere.  The worst sign was the number of amputees,  The civil war was fought with great savagery. 

[Emeralds]

14 minutes ago, Terpsichore said:

Thanks for those references, Esmeralda.   I will read the tributes.   I already have the book.

I visited Sierra Leone several years after the war had ended but signs of devastation were everywhere.  The worst sign was the number of amputees,  The civil war was fought with great savagery. 

Very very sad. All wars are brutal, but,  as you say, this one especially savage. Michaela's pregnant primary school teacher- horrific to read what happened. But I feel it was right that Michaela and Elaine told her story rather than sugar coating the details, so that she didn't just  become part of a forgotten statistic. 

Edited Sunday at 13:12 by Emeralds

[FionaM]

Clarification on timings:

 

The family have stated that Michaela passed on 10 September a day before her adopted mother, who herself was not aware of her daughter’s death.  
 

Tragic time for this family.  
 

News link
 

 

[alison]

Thanks, Fiona.  The poor family.  My heart goes out to them.

[Jeannette]

On 14/09/2024 at 05:34, Emeralds said:

 

I only know that she was second soloist with them till May this year (according to the Boston Ballet spokesperson). Michaela didn't mention it on her social media, ….

If she had to leave Boston Ballet, she would’ve been saddened…going back to auditioning. Companies usually keep the past seasons’ rosters up through the end of the current season. It’s hard to tell her situation in August. Regardless, she achieved so much during young life. The situation of her family - losing the mother a day after Michaela’s own death - is unbelievably sad. Prayers. 🙏 

 

p.s. - I still remember Mikhaela’s graduation performances from ABT’s academy, the JKO school, circa May 2012. She was a lovely soloist in a revival of Tudor’s Soiree Musical…Tirolese pdd…and also a soloist in a new work by Susan Jaffee (now ABT A.D.).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited Sunday at 15:14 by Jeannette

[Emeralds]

1 hour ago, Jeannette said:

If she had to leave Boston Ballet, she would’ve been saddened…

Jeannette, how lovely to have seen Michaela's graduation performance and thanks for sharing with us what she danced. We see very little of Tudor's work here (the music for Soiree Musicale is  wonderful) and I bet she was delightful in the cheery Tirolese as well as Jaffe's choreography. 

 

This next bit isn't a reply to Jeannette, but to all who are wanting to know the cause of death (including anyone finding this thread in an online search): In time, once any necessary processes and/or time for the bereaved has been completed they might disclose it. And if they don't that is fine too. The public isn't entitled to know the cause.

 

I don't think leaving Boston Ballet is related to her cause of death and in any case she would have been in demand for many projects (she had advertising contracts and would be sought after to dance in or put together more galas), and welcomed in various companies with soloist or principal vacancies- they already have evidence of her technique and artistry from the Coppelia film and many videos. 

 

4 hours ago, Emeralds said:

Heartbreaking to read Mia DePrince's public post

I just need to correct my own line as after re-reading the link I was given, the announcement has Mia DePrince's name on top but it is actually posted by Jess Volinski, and Mia is tagged so it looked on my device like it was posted by Mia. The post would have been prepared with her approval. Ms Volinski is married to Michaela and Mia's brother and it looks like she is handling all enquiries on her in-laws' behalf while they are dealing with the loss of both Michaela and Elaine, so that they don't have to read or hear hundreds (or more) of comments and questions directly.

 

I expect they would be inundated with a lot of questions and comments since the newspapers and news channels announced it- some unwelcome, and I've noticed some wild speculation online already. It's important to have someone else support bereaved family members in very difficult situations like these. 

[Jan McNulty]

Mia DePrince's heartbreaking Instagram posts:

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/C_3bLLdP__S/?img_index=1

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/C_6k04Ggj0s/

 

She has asked that if people wish to remember Michaela could they please donate to War Child.  This is the link to the UK branch:

 

https://www.warchild.org.uk

 

The post on Michaela DePrince's IG:  https://www.instagram.com/p/C_3WuKCxYQM/

[Terpsichore]

Thanks for those references, Esmeralda.   I will read the tributes.   I already have the book.

I visited Sierra Leone several years after the war had ended but signs of devastation were everywhere.  The worst sign was the number of amputees,  The civil war was fought with great savagery. 

[Terpsichore]

Thanks for these further links, Janet.   They are very helpful.

I wrote a lot of reviews and articles and have lots of photos of MDP from the Dutch National Ballet not all of which I used.  Some of those materials are unique like the experience of a student at one of her master classes at Danceworks and events for the Friends of the Dutch National Ballet.

I am sure I will have contributed some articles to this website but don't know how to search for or retrieve them because many will be over 10 years old. 

I will index as much as I can and gather the best stuff together.

I will also contribute to "War Child".

[Emeralds]

Thank you for finding the original Instagram post that I thought I saw but couldn't find again, @Jan McNulty! 

 

I  thought I was going mad when I couldn't find it again (well maybe I am but that's another topic for another day!) and thought I had mistaken a tagged  Facebook post  for an Instagram post but at least we have both sets of links now.

 

Maybe Mia temporarily blocked/closed her IG account for a rest/respite during the time I was searching, or maybe I just didn't search correctly. Ms Volinski's (Michaela's sister in law) FB post links (similar posts to the abiove Instagram links Jan found) are 

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/hPgqw9Nzg7J3cGMK/

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/VhHi8m3zaqRUwm9V/

 

Great to see that they have suggested that  something positive be done in Michaela's memory by donating to War Child, the charity Michaela served as patron for and organised a gala in aid of. 

 

Edited Sunday at 20:34 by Emeralds

[Peanut68]

I think there’s going to be a moment on Radio 4 Woman’s Hour this morning about the devastatingly sad loss of inspirational & beautiful Michaela de Prince

 

 

[Peanut68]

If wanting to listen on iplayer it begins c. 40mins into the hour long programme x 

Replayed an interview with her from 2015….oh gosh, so so sad. Such an amazing inspirational woman….such a tragic loss to the world. 
‘Rest in Power’

Even in her tragically young death she embodies such a powerful message for us all 💜

Edited Monday at 09:48 by Peanut68

[Sabine0308]

It's heartbreaking. A lot of dancers posted their deep sadness about this loss, she has inspired so many people. So, her legacy keeps shining. May she rest in peace 💔

[FionaM]

FYI, her adoptive father died in 2020 (Parkinsons).
 

Her obituary in the New York Times says 

 

Her death was confirmed by her siblings Mia and Erik DePrince. They said the cause was not “immediately clear” and declined to provide further details.

Edited Monday at 22:11 by FionaM

[MAB]

In that case I expect they are waiting for a postmortem report.

[art_enthusiast]

I completely respect the right of the family not to disclose her cause of death. But I feel that because of her youth and her prominence in the ballet community, there will be a lot of people curious as to why.

 

I was reading her book again, and was very saddened by the parts referencing her future. She enjoyed teaching as well I believe, and she did aim to teach in Sierra Leone at some point, or run her own studio. She certainly had a lot to give both within her ballet career and beyond.

[Ian Macmillan]

Yet more obituaries in this morning's Links.  Whilst accepting that the present team casts its net more widely than in my time, I can't think of another dancer's death in the 15 years or so that I was doing Links that has been more widely reported than that of Miss DePrince.  It even featured on the BBC 1 News some nights back, something that must be exceedingly rare indeed. 

 

Requiescat in pace. 

[Jan McNulty]

44 minutes ago, Ian Macmillan said:

Yet more obituaries in this morning's Links.  Whilst accepting that the present team casts its net more widely than in my time, I can't think of another dancer's death in the 15 years or so that I was doing Links that has been more widely reported than that of Miss DePrince.  It even featured on the BBC 1 News some nights back, something that must be exceedingly rare indeed. 

 

Requiescat in pace. 

 

I had the same thought Ian.  There were lots more too that were just repeating the AP one verbatim.

 

Michaela DePrince comes over as a remarkable young lady who made such a difference in the ballet world and for charity.  She is most sorely missed.

[Jake]

A tribute is due to appear on Radio 4’s Last Word. 

[Jake]

The tribute took the form of a repeat of an earlier interview with Michaela - unbearably poignant in the circumstances. 

[Emeralds]

On 17/09/2024 at 15:14, art_enthusiast said:

I completely respect the right of the family not to disclose her cause of death. But I feel that because of her youth and her prominence in the ballet community, there will be a lot of people curious as to why.

 

I was reading her book again, and was very saddened by the parts referencing her future. She enjoyed teaching as well I believe, and she did aim to teach in Sierra Leone at some point, or run her own studio. She certainly had a lot to give both within her ballet career and beyond.

The family might not actually have the answer at all if hospital pathogists or the police are still investigating.