International Dancers Honor Michaela Mabinty DePrince’s Memory With a Charity Gala

January 23, 2025

In September 2024, the dance world was devastated by the untimely death of one of its brightest stars, Michaela Mabinty DePrince, aged 29. Not only was DePrince a remarkable artist who performed leading roles with the Dutch National Ballet and Boston Ballet, and appeared in pop-culture moments like Beyoncé’s visual album Lemonade, but she was also an extraordinary human being and activist. Her journey from a war-torn Sierra Leone orphanage to ballet superstardom captured the hearts of many.

Throughout her career, DePrince was a passionate ambassador for War Child, a non-profit organization supporting children living through war and conflict. Now, to honor her life and legacy, dancers and musicians from around the world are coming together to raise funds for War Child by staging a benefit gala at the renowned Liederhalle in Stuttgart, Germany, on January 24. Artists taking part include Les Grands Ballets Canadiens principal Rachele Buriassi; international dance artist István Simon; and Martina Pasinotti, Diego Maria Mulone, and Alessandro Cascioli of Palermo Teatro Massimo Ballet; and more.

“Michaela’s story is [one of] triumph over adversity. She showed that with determination, passion, and perseverance it’s possible to overcome any obstacle,” says Stuttgart Ballet corps member Riccardo Ferlito, who will be dancing in the gala. While he didn’t know DePrince personally, after first encountering her by watching First Position, a 2011 documentary following six young dancers preparing for the Youth America Grand Prix, he has regarded her as a “symbol of hope” in the dance world. “This gala is a testament to the impact she’s had. I believe her influence will continue for generations to come.”

Onstage with a dark background, Anna Osadcenko performs as The Dying Swan in a white pancake tutu with feather motifs. She wears a matching headpiece, pink tights, and pointe shoes. She kneels on her back leg, close to the floor, as he front leg extends forward. She pitches forward at the hips, torso parallel to her front leg, as she arches her back with her arms extended behind like wings. Her face is emotional, almost pained.
Anna Osadcenko in The Dying Swan. Photo courtesy of the Stuttgart Ballet.

The event was initially conceived by Dutch National Ballet director Ted Brandsen, who wished to present a fundraising campaign at the end of September 2024. Organization and curation then transferred to Jongky Goei, a seasoned tour manager with experience working for companies such as Stuttgart Ballet, Hamburg Ballet, and Birmingham Royal Ballet, who had the idea to organize and host the gala in Stuttgart. “I’ve tried to design the program by imagining what Mabinty would have liked and wanted to dance in,” he tells Pointe. It will feature Liebestod, choreographed by Valery Panov and danced by Birmingham Royal Ballet principal Tzu-Chao Chou, as well as Hans van Manen’s Déjà Vu, danced by DePrince’s former Dutch National Ballet colleagues Floor Eimers and Edo Wijnen.

In light of DePrince’s tragic passing, many performances on the gala program “deal with death,” says Goei. Notably, Stuttgart Ballet principal Anna Osadcenko will open the evening with Michel Fokine’s The Dying Swan. “Every time I perform it, I dedicate it to someone who’s not here anymore,” says Osadcenko of the solo. “It’s very special to go onstage, let those emotions out, and [give them] to the audience so that they [can] feel them too,” she says. “This time it will be for Michaela.”

In a ballet studio with gray marley and dark wood-paneled walls, a male ballet dancer in nude-colored tights and ballet flats crouches with one foot flat on the ground and the other tucked under. He is in a turned-out position, bending forward with his torso so it's parallel to the floor as he twists to look up with his head, his arms flown behind him like wings.
Stuttgart Ballet corps member Emanuele Babici rehearsing his From Feather to Flight. Photo courtesy of Babici.

The gala will close with the world premiere of From Feather to Flight, a new solo choreographed by Stuttgart Ballet corps member Emanuele Babici. Intended to work in conversation with The Dying Swan, the piece follows a bird’s journey from birth to flight. “It symbolizes hope, moving forward, and the journey of life,” says Ferlito, who will be dancing the piece. “I believe [DePrince] would want us to continue to dance and live fully, with hope and positivity.”

With this gala, Goei hopes to “inspire people to do good, not because of personal gain or money, but simply out of a genuine desire to make a positive impact,” he says, alluding to DePrince’s selfless work for War Child. “If we shift our focus away from always prioritizing money and instead prioritizing kindness and humanness, I am sure our world would be a better place.”