Trailblazing ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince died at age 29 on Friday in New York City.
She was born as an orphan in Sierra Leone during a time of war and turmoil. She was adopted by Americans when she was four years old.
DePrince became a well-respected and well-known ballerina with many principal roles and celebrity projects. Most recently, she was part of the Boston Ballet.
Her passing is rocking the dance community, but her legacy is living on.
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"It was really inspiring to see her be able to get that far in her dance career at such a young age,” said Khaili, a ballerina with New Haven Ballet.
Khaili said she's looked up to DePrince as long as she can remember, even going to see her perform in New York.
"She always lit up a room. I think that being a dancer, your energy is something no one forgets,” Khaili said.
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“She is and will continue to always be an inspiration,” said Lisa Kim Sanborn, the artistic director at New Haven Ballet.
Sanborn said DePrince has been a well-known role model to her students for years.
DePrince actually performed with New Haven Ballet in 2012, headlining a benefit fundraiser in honor of a former dancer who died.
"I do remember how incredibly gracious she was. She was so kind, she refused any kind of compensation,” said Sanborn, who said DePrince was driven to the event by her mom. “Instead of sitting in a room, we reserved her in the high school, she sat in the band room with all the kids."
“You could tell she was very grateful to be there doing what she loved - she was just part of the crew,” Robbi Moore said.
Moore is a professional from Hamden, who danced at that performance with DePrince in 2012.
Her legacy is something supporters say will be shared for generations to come.
“With a history of racism and anti-blackness especially in ballet, Michaela DePrince was a hero for so many Black dancers, especially Black women and girls,” Moore said.
“Even though she isn’t with us anymore, her energy her presence everything she has given the world - it’s still very much here and I hope it continues to live on,” Khaili said.
DePrince’s cause of death has not been revealed by her family.
Compounding on their tragedy – DePrince’s mother Elaine died a day after her daughter during a routine procedure.
A family spokesperson says Elaine wasn’t aware of Michaela’s passing at the time of her procedure – and the two deaths are completely unrelated.
