Stella Abrera

Life Global At her highest pointe Newly promoted to principal dancer after 20 years with American Ballet Theatre, Filipina-American Stella Abrera reflects on hard work and its rewards, performing through injuries, her humanitarian efforts and how, unwittingly, her success has inspired other dancers of Asian lineage It’s the middle of the afternoon in says. “Living in New York and being on markedly different each time they step Paris and Stella Abrera is taking a my own for the first time – let’s just say into the room and take their place at well-deserved breather. The American that many fun adventures took place!” the barre. For them, seeing someone Ballet Theatre (ABT) principal dancer is Entering the working world and being like Abrera ascend to such a prominent in the thick of a slate of performances on her own at the tender age of 17 position at one of the world’s top at the Opéra Bastille. She’s tackling the forced Abrera to grow up quickly, but ballet companies denoted significant touchstone role of Aurora in Sleeping it was also thrilling. progress, and was also empowering. Beauty – one of her most intense Following five seasons as a member Indeed, it was after Abrera started challenges to date. “This is a beast of of the corps de ballet, Abrera was getting “really sweet, beautiful a role,” Abrera says, her measured and appointed a soloist in 2001. And after sentiments” from young Asian and musical lilt barely betraying traces of 14 years of honing her skills, she was Asian-American ballet dancers that she the grind that undoubtedly goes into a finally promoted to the company’s top felt comfortable assuming the mantle run like this. “It’s got to be one of the ranks in August 2015. The instant her of a role model. “To have people most difficult roles in any ballerina’s promotion was announced, accolades reach out and say they feel like their arsenal.” Next, she’ll return to New started streaming in, with media skin color affects what’s happening York for ABT’s fall season at Lincoln outlets like Forbes, The Wall Street to them in the ballet world – I’m open Center before the company’s annual Journal and Buzzfeed lauding her as to being educated about that,” says holiday production of The Nutcracker. the first Filipina-American ballerina to Abrera, who counts ballet greats like This rounds off a whirlwind year for the make principal dancer at ABT. While Amanda McKerrow, Julie Kent, Susan dancer, one in which she’s performed attention was paid to Abrera’s tireless Jaffe and Alessandra Ferri as role with ABT in Manaus, Brazil, as well as training, impeccable artistry and models and mentors. “I realized that I her hometown of Los Angeles. exquisite grace, her ethnicity – and have a responsibility here, and it’s very But all of this is nothing new. As that she was thriving in an industry important and humbling.” the child of a civil engineer, Abrera whose track record with diversity is Despite not feeling that her race spent much of her childhood bouncing sketchy at best – was the one thing was ever a hindrance, Abrera has had across cities, countries and continents that the media seemed to latch on to. to overcome her fair share of setbacks. for years at a time – including San When we ask Abrera what it felt In 2010, just as she was entering her Diego and Sydney – returning to like to be the first of “her kind” to step prime, she suffered a serious back LA between stops. Her family was into this distinguished role, she takes a injury. This, coupled with a sciatic stationed in Manila when she was long pause before speaking. “Actually, nerve problem, kept her out of action born. Through it all, her time in the it’s been quite eye-opening. The for 18 months. To Abrera, it felt like a studio remained a grounding force, distinction initially caught me quite lifetime. “Injuries are the hardest part and the young Abrera, buoyed by off-guard. My being Filipina-American of our job,” she says. “They’re almost the support of her parents, took her was the last thing on my mind as I was inevitable, whether it’s just a bruised early dance training seriously. “Ballet working up the ranks at ABT, so I didn’t toenail or a major back injury, because was definitely where I felt most at quite know how to handle it,” she says. we ask our bodies to do extreme home,” she recalls. “Even when I was It was as if an identity that she’d never things.” Abrera likens the rigorous going through the transition of being paid much attention to was suddenly training, conditioning and rehearsal the new kid at school, it was always thrust upon her – one that people process that ballet dancers undertake nice to have my daily ballet classes to focused on, and defined her by, when to the physical challenges faced by reinforce that calming feeling.” recognizing her achievement. other athletes, albeit with a “veil Being accustomed to a life in motion But while Abrera admits she’s been of beauty, artistry and glamor over also helped Abrera when she moved fortunate that her race has had little the blood, sweat and pain of it all” cross-country to New York to join ABT bearing on her career, she’s aware that adds an extra dimension to the in 1996. “I’ve always been an outgoing, that many young ballerinas whose discipline’s raw physicality. independent spirit, so I was mainly skin color, body type or general Her recovery period marked an focused on how exciting it was to be appearance veer away from their extremely trying time for the dancer, in my dream ballet company,” Abrera profession’s exacting standard feel who had to go through an arduous 32 Life “I’m constantly being challenged with such epic, iconic roles that are a true joy to work on and perform” rehab program, not to mention wrestle with the fear that her injury could end her career. “When you first begin as a professional dancer, you’re young, spry and gung-ho and you go full-force into everything, as you should. But when injury strikes, that’s when you have to be thoughtful and have the discipline and patience that it takes to heal,” Abrera says. “The purpose of a dancer’s life is to perform, so it can be quite depressing when you’re not able to go on stage. You’re benched.” The process ultimately strengthened Abrera’s resolve, giving her a sense of perspective that’s served her well in the years following her full recovery. Although Abrera was largely raised away from her birth country, she still holds the Philippines close to her heart. One of her most memorable performances was the titular role in Giselle, which she debuted with Ballet Philippines in 2014. “My heritage is Filipino, so it was fantastic to have the Filipino people treat my visit as a bit of a homecoming,” she recalls. “Here I am, this girl from LA or New York, and they took me in as one of their own. It was very heartwarming.” Before traveling to Manila, Abrera founded her charity, Steps Forward for the Philippines, to provide educational supplies and funds for children in Guiuan, Samar, one of the areas hardest hit by Typhoon Yolanda in 2013. Much of these donations were raised by Abrera’s ABT colleagues and the wider New York dance community. During a weekend off from rehearsals, she flew out to Guiuan to see the recovery efforts for herself, an experience she counts as one of the most moving of her life. “It was so major to see the resiliency and fortitude of the Filipino people in that region, rebuilding their lives from the ILLUSTRATIONS: CHERYL OWEN CHERYL ILLUSTRATIONS: ground up,” she says. 33 Life ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE Here are some of the sleekest new and upcoming performance venues across our network “Injuries are almost inevitable, because we ask our bodies to do extreme things” Dubai Opera The lavish $300m Dubai Opera opened its doors Abrera’s charitable efforts are all says. In addition to weekend brunch, this August. It has a capaci- ty of nearly 2,000, features the more commendable considering her annual summer road trip out west 600 light installations and her punishing schedule with ABT, is another non-negotiable pleasure she was designed by leading especially since her recent elevation refuses to compromise on. architecture firm Atkins and developed by Emaar to principal dancer. During an average Despite her veteran status in Properties. Resembling a six-week rehearsal period, she begins the industry, Abrera’s drive hasn’t traditional sailing vessel, her day with a company ballet class at diminished. In fact, following her it’s the latest jewel of the city’s downtown arts ABT’s spawling studios at Manhattan’s promotion, she’s gained a renewed district. Union Square. At her very busiest, she sense of vigor and dedication. “I’m can find herself rehearsing multiple constantly being challenged with such Taipei Performing Arts Center ballet roles back-to-back – from mid- epic, iconic roles that are a true joy Conceptualized by day until seven in the evening. to work on and perform,” she says. OMA, this venue is built “On the toughest days, you have a “That’s what drives me and feeds me for flexibility. Three geometric theaters jut five-minute break each hour to change to show up every day and work my out of the building’s your clothes, put on a new set of hardest to keep my craft going.” cube-like center, creating pointe shoes, go to the bathroom and One aspect of her job that Abrera a striking and futuristic exterior, while the interior pop a peanut in your mouth, and then finds fascinating is the ephemeral accommodates an array you’re doing a completely different quality of live performance.

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