Pioneering professional ballerina Michaela DePrince made her final Instagram post just weeks before her death was announced this week.
The 29-year-old actress, who starred in the 2021 ballet film “Coppelia,” died recently of unknown causes, according to an announcement on her social media accounts on Friday.
In his final post on August 9, DePrince was seen smiling and wearing Nike gear, captioning both photos with a simple peace sign emoji.
In addition to “Coppelia,” she also appeared on “Dancing with the Stars.” During AT&T's 2012 Spotlight performance She also appeared in Beyonce's 2016 Emmy-nominated musical film “Lemonade.”
DePrince grew up in war-torn Sierra Leone, Africa, and first saw an American ballerina while in an orphanage.
She made her professional debut with the Johannesburg Ballet in Johannesburg.
She later became the youngest principal dancer at the Harlem Dance Theatre.
In 2021, DePrince became second soloist with Boston Ballet and won the lead role in “Coppelia.”
The dancer published her autobiography, “Soaring: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina,” in 2016. The book prompted the making of a biopic. Madonna will direct.
