Michaela Mabinty DePrince, 1995-2024, RIP
September 16, 2024 7:22 AM Subscribe
Michaela Mabinty DePrince died September 10 (gift link, NYT).
From the article: Her remarkable back story as an orphan from Sierra Leone, included in miniature in “First Position,” was told in full in her widely praised memoir, “Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina,” which she wrote with her adoptive mother, Elaine DePrince. It chronicled as complete a transformation in circumstances as could be imagined.
Tributes have been pouring in from the dance world, including this one from Ashley Bouder's Instagram:
"Mabinty. Rest in power and peace. What a force you were. REAL. She was a war child orphan. She was Mabinty, then she was Michaela, then she reclaimed herself. She was a talent, an artist, a ballerina. She was a humanitarian, an inspiration, a story to behold. I had the immense privilege of dancing beside her and coaching her. Mabinty, we will miss you always. Thank you for being you for the too brief time you were among us."
From the article: Her remarkable back story as an orphan from Sierra Leone, included in miniature in “First Position,” was told in full in her widely praised memoir, “Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina,” which she wrote with her adoptive mother, Elaine DePrince. It chronicled as complete a transformation in circumstances as could be imagined.
Tributes have been pouring in from the dance world, including this one from Ashley Bouder's Instagram:
"Mabinty. Rest in power and peace. What a force you were. REAL. She was a war child orphan. She was Mabinty, then she was Michaela, then she reclaimed herself. She was a talent, an artist, a ballerina. She was a humanitarian, an inspiration, a story to behold. I had the immense privilege of dancing beside her and coaching her. Mabinty, we will miss you always. Thank you for being you for the too brief time you were among us."
Her adoptive mother, Elaine, apparently died the day after her from complications in preparation for a surgery, so that family must be absolutely reeling with grief at the moment.
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posted by jacquilynne at 8:01 AM on September 16 [6 favorites]
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posted by jacquilynne at 8:01 AM on September 16 [6 favorites]
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posted by Joey Michaels at 8:35 AM on September 16
posted by Joey Michaels at 8:35 AM on September 16
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so young, this is terrible. my heart breaks for her family.
posted by supermedusa at 10:11 AM on September 16 [2 favorites]
so young, this is terrible. my heart breaks for her family.
posted by supermedusa at 10:11 AM on September 16 [2 favorites]
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posted by ewok_academy at 10:22 AM on September 16
posted by ewok_academy at 10:22 AM on September 16
They said the cause was not “immediately clear” and declined to provide further details.
When a 29-year-old passes way, and it's not from an accident or act of violence, and the person was healthy to the outsider view, then the list of likely options shortens to either sudden acute illness, or self-inflicted.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 10:38 AM on September 16 [2 favorites]
When a 29-year-old passes way, and it's not from an accident or act of violence, and the person was healthy to the outsider view, then the list of likely options shortens to either sudden acute illness, or self-inflicted.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 10:38 AM on September 16 [2 favorites]
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posted by gentlyepigrams at 12:08 PM on September 16
posted by gentlyepigrams at 12:08 PM on September 16
Her adoptive mother, Elaine, apparently died the day after her from complications in preparation for a surgery, so that family must be absolutely reeling with grief at the moment.
Her sister Mia Mabinty DePrince, who was her best friend back in Sierra Leone, has lost her sister and mother in under a week. That family had already been through so much, individually and as a group.
I was tempted to post some videos of DePrince dancing, but there are far too many and varied to pick just a couple. There's the Tedx talk as well. She was such a great presence and so influential. I used to sell tons of her book to tweens and teens at the bookstore. RIP.
posted by BibiRose at 1:03 PM on September 16 [3 favorites]
Her sister Mia Mabinty DePrince, who was her best friend back in Sierra Leone, has lost her sister and mother in under a week. That family had already been through so much, individually and as a group.
I was tempted to post some videos of DePrince dancing, but there are far too many and varied to pick just a couple. There's the Tedx talk as well. She was such a great presence and so influential. I used to sell tons of her book to tweens and teens at the bookstore. RIP.
posted by BibiRose at 1:03 PM on September 16 [3 favorites]
Weh I saw the headline it just caught my breath, this is a physically strong person that all of us failed. As a cis person that has been deep in the dance world at one time, well it, just breaks my heart. In all the challenges in the world of art needs to be assessed in how the performers are compensated and allowed to raise the level of wonder and joy in the world.
It makes me mad, I went looking for vids of her dancing, almost everything puts here on pedestal as a "oo how amazing" rather than just showing her art. Ballet is a delicate form that is also brutal, (all the crazy movies can't show how crazy a world). As for her, she seemed to be a powerful jumper, not the best turner (fyi technical terminology), nice arms, good presence in the few actual clips that actually showed her dancing.
Yes makes me furious, her actual dance career seemed to be mostly over and where does a dancer go, teach? What lily white school wants her to be in front of the class of little girls all identical? I'm depressed just thinking about the many dead end possibilities.
deeply deeply heartbreaking.
posted by sammyo at 3:32 PM on September 16
It makes me mad, I went looking for vids of her dancing, almost everything puts here on pedestal as a "oo how amazing" rather than just showing her art. Ballet is a delicate form that is also brutal, (all the crazy movies can't show how crazy a world). As for her, she seemed to be a powerful jumper, not the best turner (fyi technical terminology), nice arms, good presence in the few actual clips that actually showed her dancing.
Yes makes me furious, her actual dance career seemed to be mostly over and where does a dancer go, teach? What lily white school wants her to be in front of the class of little girls all identical? I'm depressed just thinking about the many dead end possibilities.
deeply deeply heartbreaking.
posted by sammyo at 3:32 PM on September 16
I remembered her from First Position and occasionally checked in to see how her career was progressing. Uttertly heartbreaking for her family, her fellow dancers, and her fans.
posted by TwoStride at 3:57 PM on September 16 [1 favorite]
posted by TwoStride at 3:57 PM on September 16 [1 favorite]
We attended a Sierra Leonean family get together over the weekend and this was the biggest topic. People were in disbelief... It's hard to appreciate how much a success like hers means to a small country that's experienced to much hardship.
posted by 1adam12 at 4:48 PM on September 16 [6 favorites]
posted by 1adam12 at 4:48 PM on September 16 [6 favorites]
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posted by UhOhChongo! at 8:11 PM on September 16
posted by UhOhChongo! at 8:11 PM on September 16
Yes makes me furious, her actual dance career seemed to be mostly over and where does a dancer go
She was on that threshold that dancers face, as their bodies age out of the extreme demands placed upon them (in particular by ballet). She lost her father in 2020; her mother was very ill and likely dying. De Prince should be forgiven what is very probably suicide in the face of not only the loss of her family but also the identity which had lifted her above her agony for so long; she carried terrible trauma from her childhood and I'm sure also from the racism of the dance world, which is a harsh one, where careers are short and dancers sadly more or less disposable. I grieve for her and for her community, and for her sister, who was adopted with her. It's such a sad story. She was a strong, bright light for as long as she could be.
posted by jokeefe at 12:40 PM on September 17 [2 favorites]
She was on that threshold that dancers face, as their bodies age out of the extreme demands placed upon them (in particular by ballet). She lost her father in 2020; her mother was very ill and likely dying. De Prince should be forgiven what is very probably suicide in the face of not only the loss of her family but also the identity which had lifted her above her agony for so long; she carried terrible trauma from her childhood and I'm sure also from the racism of the dance world, which is a harsh one, where careers are short and dancers sadly more or less disposable. I grieve for her and for her community, and for her sister, who was adopted with her. It's such a sad story. She was a strong, bright light for as long as she could be.
posted by jokeefe at 12:40 PM on September 17 [2 favorites]
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posted by spinifex23 at 2:49 PM on September 17
posted by spinifex23 at 2:49 PM on September 17
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