Stella Abrera in Antony Tudor's Leaves are Fading at the American Ballet Theatre. Stella Abrera, the first Filipino American principal dancer of the American Ballet Theatre, has retired after 24 years with the classical ballet company. Everyone is absurdly beautiful, necks long and limbs taut, everything carved and sculpted to balletic perfection, most of them out of alabaster and marble. Stella Abrera is principal ballerina of the American Ballet Theatre and the newly-installed artistic director at Kaatsbaan, a renowned cultural park for dance in Tivoli. That did not come true for me in my grown-up life. “I knew my traveling there would be a good opportunity to raise some money for the people in the region that was hit hardest, and so I did some research,” says Stella. American Ballet Theatre's fall season begins on October 21 and runs until November 1 at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City. All that hard work only to be different, an outlier, an other. Stella Abrera as Giselle in Giselle at the American Ballet Theatre. She slams silk and cement against the floor in the hallway, joining a chorus of her colleagues. For the uninitiated, Giselle has the titular peasant maiden fall in love with the duplicitous Prince Albrecht. So this time, Stella wanted to make her visit count. “It eventually got so bad, the ache, that my leg just was not functioning properly.”, Despite seeing several doctors and physical therapists, a proper diagnosis eluded Stella for nine months. I did the same. “We’d play leap frog and skipped around with flowers,” says Stella. Stella joined ABT’s corps de ballet in 1996 at the age of 17. “I really do appreciate these amazing gifts I’ve been given, this promotion and this recognition,” says Stella. For 18 months, through injury and loss, recovery and return to the stage, Stella relearned everything. Stella’s mother and father believed in Stella’s talent and passion. Obsessed with travel? Her experience is evident in each brush of the leg, her love for ballet shimmering in every crest of an arm. And second, whether you’re in the audience or on stage, you’re bound to be surrounded only by white tutus and white sylphs and white swans. “It’s not going to change how I work, as far as always trying to put my best foot forward and always trying to hone my skills.”, Stella stretches carefully, rubs her back and a leg. “But I was so stubborn and determined to come back. After 14 years in soloist purgatory and two years of frustrating injuries, Stella Abrera became the first Filipina-American principal dancer in the history of American Ballet Theatre. Stella Abrera performing at a play on 27 July 2019 (Photo: Stella Abrera's Instagram) But, as she reached the age of 30, she suffered an injury in her back and sciatic nerve due to which she could hardly walk. But I'm still okay with it. She founded Steps Forward for the Philippines, in partnership with Operation USA. And I wanted to leave the stage still proud of what I could present physically. “I grew up in Los Angeles. Like many dancers in my generation, I was obsessed with that taped Baryshnikov Don Quixote show at the Met. Yes, with more than 57.5 thousand followers she holds an Instagram account under the name of @steallaabreradetsky. I knew that my physical strength and power were already on the other side of my peak. “I don’t know if that’s because I grew up in very diverse cities,” she says. Shortly after, Stella’s ballet coach and ABT ballet mistress Georgina Parkinson also died of cancer. Her parents kept close ties with their extended family who still live there, so they visited the country almost every summer in her youth. So I feel like maybe I had already prepared myself for the mourning process that I have witnessed in close friends who have retired before me. Around 10 years ago, I suffered a really epic back injury that took me offstage for two years. 1,490 Likes, 33 Comments - Stella Abrera (@stellaabreradetsky) on Instagram: “Probably the last time I’ll dance in my hometown and so glad it’s with @jamesbwhiteside in the…” To go from trailing behind women twice her age on the streets of New York to dancing an Odalisque in Le Corsaire helped Stella realize how far she had come. “I’m very grateful for and humbled by the beautiful things they say to me,” she says. What an extraordinary journey to…” • Follow their account to see 845 posts. Abrera joined ABT's corps de ballet in 1996, was promoted to soloist in 2001 and, finally, after an uncommonly lengthy stretch, principal in 2015, making her the first Filipina American to reach the top rank in the company's history. Even though roughly a year had passed since Haiyan made landfall in the area, Stella marveled at the evidence of catastrophic loss. Stella Abrera's name ("stella" means "star" in Latin) proved prophetic in the final stretch of her 24-year career at American Ballet Theatre. But the … Her ascent was lauded by Asian-American and Filipino publications the world over, calling it “historic” and — considering almost two years of dealing with physical injuries — “nothing short of a miracle.” The 12-year-old girl I met was inspired by Stella’s promotion, that someone who looked like her could rise to the top rank at ABT, one of the most renowned ballet companies in the world. Join Facebook to connect with Stella Abrera and others you may know. Stella dances for herself. They did it with me for sure all through high school.”. Stella Abrera posted on Instagram: “Enjoying every moment of rest and relaxation at the stunning @elnidoresorts... but working to keep…” • See all of @stellaabreradetsky's … Abrera joined ABT's corps de ballet in 1996, was promoted to soloist in 2001 and, finally, after an uncommonly lengthy stretch, principal in 2015, making her the first Filipina American to reach the top rank in the company's history. “No MRI could tell me anything,” she says. Stella Abrera on Instagram: “On June 13, 2020 I will be retiring from my beloved @abtofficial with Giselle ️. When ABT principal dancer Polina Semionova withdrew from the 2015 season due to an injury, ABT needed a new Giselle for their spring production. “I kept thinking, It’s going to get better,” says Stella. Stella Abrera's name ("stella" means "star" in Latin) proved prophetic in the final stretch of her 24-year career at American Ballet Theatre. Abrera brings much more than her decades at ABT to her new position. “I noticed my calf was aching, and I said, whatever, just push through it.” However, she began to lose strength in her muscles and she grew weaker. So to hear Stella say “I’ve never felt singled out or excluded because of my skin color” is a curious surprise — though a pleasant one, nonetheless. I offer two weeks for a small group to work on the pas de deux and solos that they don't really get to work on during their season. When the first half of class is over, the instructor asks the gentlemen in the room to clear the ballet barres off the dance floor. She laughs. The mood is genial and the room fills with their chatter as they warm up. She brought with her school supplies from Manila and gifted them to the children who’d be attending the school once it opened. Similarly, she has more than thousands of followers on Facebook and Twitter. “It wasn’t about even returning back to my standing in the company before my injury. Sometimes I’d have bad days when I’d slip down a few rounds and have to claw myself back up to where I was before. No matter where they moved, her ballet education was a top priority. Though she was born in Manila, Stella moved to the United States at an early age. Because of that, I've approached every show with the thought that this could be my last. Through crowdfunding, Steps Forward raised roughly $20,000, which went to the restoration of a school in the coastal town of Guiuan, hit first and hardest by the typhoon. “Not slammed, actually. Read BuzzFeed's interview with Stella's husband Sascha Radetsky here. Ballet, historically, has favored whiteness. I don't know if it would have changed, even considering the circumstances. Discover unique things to do, places to eat, and sights to see in the best destinations around the world with Bring Me! We’re in a studio at American Ballet Theatre’s rehearsal space on a clear October morning. Search, watch, and cook every single Tasty recipe and video ever - all in one place! I just wanted to dance again. “That means she feels different. You can subscribe to the magazine here, or click here to purchase this issue.. At some point during her long career with American Ballet Theatre, Stella Abrera started to think it would never happen; paradoxically, this gave her a kind of peace. Under coronavirus-free circumstances, 42-year-old Abrera’s farewell performance would have been the title role of “Giselle” at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York on June 13. I have had highlights from different stages of my career: dancing In the Upper Room with Gillian Murphy as a fellow "stomper," taking part in Ethan Stiefel's retirement show with all of my close friends, dancing with my husband, Sascha Radetsky, my ABT Giselle debut. Through the rest of class, Stella moves as though carried by a breeze. After all these guest stints as Giselle outside the United States, the directors at American Ballet Theatre must have taken notice, because they gave Stella another chance of a lifetime at home court. Critics raved about her one-of-a-kind performance. He gave her the opportunity to audition at ABT, and the company’s Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie told her she was in. “They did all the driving and waiting through classes and rehearsals. They spent some time in San Diego, then three years in Australia. The physical rehabilitation was one thing, but the mental and emotional recovery was wholly another. It was the first time I’d been back to the Philippines in 15 years.”. Sponsored by Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Sponsored by USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, Stella Abrera to Take on New Role as Artistic Director of Kaatsbaan ... ›, Stella Abrera to Retire from American Ballet Theatre - Dance ... ›, In the Studio: Gillian Murphy and Stella Abrera's 20th Anniversary ... ›, Pro-Studio/Stella Abrera | Kaatsbaan, Tivoli, New York, Performance ... ›, Stella Abrera - American Ballet Theatre ›, Stella Abrera (@stellaabreradetsky) • Instagram photos and videos ›, Friday Film Break: Kyle Abraham's "When We Fell" for New York City Ballet. But, of course, the Philippines is rightly proud of the newest Pinoy star in the global pantheon. In 2014 she founded Steps Forward for the Philippines to benefit victims of Hurricane Haiyan, and since 2018 has directed an annual benefit gala in Manila to raise money for the Stella Abrera Dance and Music Hall at CENTEX (Center of Excellence in Public Elementary Education) in Batangas. Yesterday, Kaatsbaan, the Tivoli, NY-based cultural park for dance, announced that Stella Abrera will join the organization as its new artistic director, effective January 1, 2020. 6,476 Likes, 134 Comments - Stella Abrera (@stellaabreradetsky) on Instagram: “#centerstage premiere Spring 2000 #waybackwednesday #teamcharlie #charliesimms #blueeyes…” Adding to the emotional load from her injuries were difficult losses in Stella’s life. In shoes fashioned almost out of pearl, Stella is determined to finish what she began. Since her return to the stage in 2009, Stella’s taken every opportunity she can to dance. A Principal Dancer with the company since 2015, she will dance the title role of Giselle on Saturday evening, June 13, 2020 at the Metropolitan Opera House. Stella Abrera shared a post on Instagram: “So much love for this family portrait. Stella marks and practices the movements with her hands as she speaks. Stella’s speech reflects her movement at the barre, with careful bends and well-thought stretches. All the doctors were shrugging their shoulders like, ‘Sorry, this is a mystery.’”, Stella describes it as the most frustrating time of her career. “I always thought my heart would… I’ve been fortunate for a challenging and deeply…” Since then she's more than made up for lost time in debuts including Aurora, Juliet, Cinderella, Terpsichore in Balanchine's Apollo and Princess Tea Flower in Alexei Ratmansky's Whipped Cream . Stella’s pointe shoes, conventionally pink, today are white. “Just because I’ve never felt excluded or different, doesn’t mean that other people don’t.”. Jade Young / Via Courtesy of American Ballet Theatre, Gene Schiavone / Via Courtesy of American Ballet Theatre, Rosalie O'Connor / Via Courtesy of American Ballet Theatre, Gene Schiavone / Via Courtesy of the American Ballet Theatre. They're paying their dues. This is a trick every ballerina knows: To live and dance in objects so rigidly perfect, you have to break them in. Back at the studio at ABT, I’ve been observing Stella from the sidelines. 62.8k Followers, 995 Following, 898 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Stella Abrera (@stellaabreradetsky) Abraham told Roslyn Sulcas of The New York Times that a peaceful winter residency at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park deeply influenced the material, and it shows in the work's spare beauty and elegant sense of calm. This injury crept in.”, Still, she tried to keep her head up. One of these opportunities came in 2013: an invitation to visit Manila and perform the titular role in Ballet Philippines’ staging of Giselle the following year. Her long black hair is in a loose bun, bouncing with every nod of her head. Additionally, Radetsky had the opportunity to dance at the Dutch National Ballet, so he was away from Stella for a year. Be as open as you can be to learning, and observing people around you—in all ranks, in all departments, the whole company. Trying to come back, trying to regain strength, and build my legs back up to the level where I could dance again.”, She describes how a good friend helped her train every day, giving her a daily ballet class for four months: “I had to just completely go back to basics and change how I approached my technique.” Stella takes a deep breath, stretches her legs on her yoga mat, and says, “It really was an epic journey.”. We hold major institutions accountable and expose wrongdoing. Stella Abrera in Romeo and Juliet at the American Ballet Theatre. View the profiles of people named Stella Abrera. 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