Trailblazing professional ballerina Michaela DePrince made one final Instagram post weeks before her death was announced this week.
The 29-year-old, who starred in the 2021 ballet movie “Coppelia,” recently died from undisclosed causes, according to an announcement from her social media account Friday.
A smiling DePrince sported Nike gear in her final post on Aug. 9, and she captioned the two photos with a simple peace sign emoji.
In addition to “Coppelia,” she appeared on “Dancing With the Stars” during AT&T’s 2012 spotlight performance and in Beyoncé’s Emmy-nominated 2016 “Lemonade” musical film.
DePrince grew up in conflict-burdened Sierra Leone, Africa, and saw her first image of an American ballerina while in an orphanage.
She made her professional debut with the Joburg Ballet in Johannesburg.
Later, she became the youngest principal dancer at the Dance Theatre of Harlem.
In 2021, DePrince became the second soloist at the Boston Ballet, which helped her land the leading role in “Coppelia.”
The dancer released her memoir, “Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina,” in 2016. The book prompted talks of a biopic with Madonna slated to direct.
