She is now at the Boston Ballet, as the company’s new second soloist. And while the Ballet season hasn’t started yet, you can get a preview of DePrince on Tuesday, October 19, when Shout! Factory releases the film “Coppelia” on DVD / Blu-ray and digital platforms. Shot in the Netherlands, with dancers from the Dutch National Ballet (his former company), this is an update of the original 1870 ballet that fuses dance and live entertainment, with DePrince in the role of lead ballerina : a young woman named Swan.

It took a while to get to where she is now. DePrince suffers from Vitiligo, a disease in which the skin loses its pigment cells. Due to her condition, she was an unlikely candidate for adoption – she recalls being told “no one wanted a spotted child”. But a couple from New Jersey did. They took her to their large family and sent her to ballet schools. Along the way, she learned to manage her autoimmune disease. “I hated it because that’s what made people hate me. But now I really like my spots. That’s what makes me different, it makes people recognize me on the street. It just took me a while to really like it.

After appearing in Bess Kargman’s 2011 ballet documentary “First Position,” DePrince joined the Dance Theater of Harlem. “What I liked about this experience was that I saw dancers who looked like me. But my goal was to make people understand that no matter what color you are, you can be in a classic business. So, after a year, she joined the Dutch National Ballet, where she danced Clara in “The Nutcracker” and “Tarantella” by Balanchine and Swan in the “Coppélia” version of DNB’s artistic director, Ted Brandsen.

The latter role undoubtedly helped put her as Swan in the new film, which was inspired by Brandsen’s version. “I feel that Swan and I are pretty much the same: very fiery. We protect our friends and families, and we just want the best for them. “

This is not the classic “Coppélia”. Swan runs a juice bar, her future boyfriend Franz has a bicycle shop, and Dr. Coppélius is a plastic surgeon who tries to bring his Coppelia doll to life by stealing Franz’s heart. Maurizio Malagnini’s score ranges from soft music box to menacing Bond-villain; there is less dancing here than in the traditional version. But he’s a charmer.

Working with animation was, however, a challenge. “On stage,” DePrince explains, “you have your props, you have your co-workers and friends. When you only have a green screen and not a lot of accessories, you just have to figure it out for yourself. But I think we’ve all done a really good job.

While at the Dutch National Ballet, DePrince published her autobiography, “Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina,” which she wrote with her mother, Elaine. She became an ambassador for War Child Holland, which helps children around the world affected by conflict. And she was invited to appear in Beyoncé’s movie “Lemonade”. “I did my own solo. They put on some music, and I just created and choreographed on the spot. Beyoncé saw the show the next day and she came to me and said, “It was absolutely beautiful.” I just think she’s an amazing human being / artist, and she does so many amazing things that people don’t even know about.

But last year, DePrince decided she needed a change. “I didn’t know where I was going to go, and then I realized, Boston Ballet. He has an incredible representation, I love the diversity, I love what I experienced from Mikko [Boston Ballet artistic director Mikko Nissinen]. The dancers are amazing, very authentic, very sweet. The ballet coaches are also great so I really appreciate that.

What are his dream roles? “I would love to do Clara. I would love to do Sleeping Beauty. I would love to do Kitri [in “Don Quixote”]. I feel like Kitri and I have pretty much the same personality. And I’m delighted to work with William Forsythe, it’s one of my dreams. But mostly just to keep growing and enjoying the process.

Watch “Coppelia” starting Tuesday on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Vudu and other platforms, or purchase a DVD or Blu-ray copy at shoutfactory.com .

Jeffrey Gantz can be reached at [email protected]