Britney Spears Tour Dancer Dead: Michael Stein Was 32
Stein was the dance captain on Spears' 2018 Piece of Me tour and also performed alongside the pop star during her Las Vegas residency.
Michael Stein, one of Britney Spears' longtime dancers, has died. Stein passed away at the age of 32 on Saturday, Dec. 23, his partner, Kaylie Yee, revealed in an emotional social media tribute on what would have been Stein's 33rd birthday on Wednesday. Yee did not disclose Stein's location or cause of death.
"I'm not sure I could ever find the perfect words to summarize what Michael meant to me," Yee wrote alongside a gallery of images of Stein, including photos of him dancing alongside Spears on tour. "As tears roll down my face, all I can think about is the incredibly huge hole that is left in all of us, knowing that he is no longer here."
"10 years of adventure, laughs, love and living out our dreams in LA together," Yee continued. "He got to travel the world doing what he loved; dancing, choreographing, creating, videoing, assisting people he absolutely adored and looked up to...and I know he loved every minute of it."
Yee went on to call Stein her "best friend," sharing that he was "the Wall-E to my Eve, and was always the first person to give me that extra push of courage and confidence in myself when I needed it. And for those closest to him, he was brutally honest, even when we didn't want to hear it. A true friend." She said she will "forever be grateful for all of it," calling Bulleit, the dog they shared, "the best decision we ever made together."
"With all of the beautiful moments, of course there were hard times, but he never lost his passion for LA or his dedication to the industry. This is what he was always sure about and what I admired most of all," she wrote. "Michael, in honour of you, I promise to never give up, to keep fighting for the dream and to keep living for the best moments in life. Today is your day. Today we celebrate you. Happy Birthday."
Stein served as the dance captain on Spears' Piece of Me tour in 2018 and also performed alongside the pop icon during her Las Vegas residency, per Deadline. Throughout his career, he also worked with artists including Kylie Minogue, Dove Cameron, and Little Mix, and appeared on TV shows such as Glee, American Idol, and America's Got Talent.
Spears has not publicly commented on Stein's passing at this time. The singer last week deleted her Instagram account after posting that she would "never return to the music industry."