Michaela DePrince, the trailblazing ballet star, who overcame massive hardship in her early years has died unexpectedly at 29. She lost both parents during Sierra Leone’s civil war and was sent to an orphanage at three, where she was mistreated due to her vitiligo. She said “We were ranked as numbers, and number 27 was the least favorite and that was my number, so I got the least amount of food, the least amount of clothes and whatnot.”
After receiving word that the orphanage would be bombed, she described walking shoeless for miles to reach a refugee camp. Her new mother, who adopted DePrince and two other girls, from the orphanage after meeting them in Ghana in 1999, said Michaela was “sick and traumatized by the war”, with tonsillitis, fever, mononucleosis and swollen joints. She was four when she was adopted and moved to the United States, where her adoptive mother nurtured her love for ballet. She went on to become the youngest principal dancer at the Dance Theatre of Harlem and performed in Beyonce’s Lemonade.
Born 6 January 1995 in Kenema, Sierra Leone, she had a stellium in earthy, ambitious Capricorn ranging from her Sun to Neptune Uranus and Mercury. She had a confident, exuberant and determined Jupiter in Sagittarius conjunct Pluto Venus in last degree Scorpio. Her harsh start in life is echoed in her Saturn in Pisces opposition Mars in Virgo square her upbeat Jupiter – it would give her the discipline for strenuous ballet training and performance – and Jupiter in Sagittarius would keep her optimism and morale afloat. But she would be up and down with mood swings as her Saturn squared Jupiter. Her creativity would not be in doubt with a Sun Neptune conjunction and her Venus Pluto.
There has been no cause of death given. She did have tr Pluto conjunct her Mercury for an intense mood and had just been through her First Saturn Return – but these are hardly red flags.
What a tragedy.
It is such sad and tragic news. Her and her mum’s life should be celebrated and remembered. They both achieved so much against the odds. RIP
Amazing she achieved so much. Such a loss
The lunar eclipse this week is conjunct her Chiron with her Pisces Moon possibly opposite Chiron depending on birth time.
She had such presence on stage, full of vitality. And was a real inspiration to many young dancers. A terrible loss.
Vitiligo (/ˌvɪtɪˈlaɪɡoʊ/) is a chronic autoimmune disorder that causes patches of skin to lose pigment or color. The cause of vitiligo is unknown, but it may be related to immune system changes, genetic factors, stress, or sun exposure. Treatment options include topical medications, light therapy, surgery and cosmetics. The condition can show up on any skin type as a light peachy color and can appear on any place on the body in all sizes. The spots on the skin known as vitiligo are also able to “change” as spots lose and regain pigment; they will stay in relatively the same areas but can move over time and some big patches can move through the years but never disappear overnight.
There is no cure for Vitiligo but there are treatment options.
Michaela’s adoptive mother died the week before her death.
Yes, what a tragedy.
The family are saying that the deaths are unrelated as Michaela died first and her mother didn’t know before she died during a routine procedure for a surgery the next day 🙁