The Leadership Dance – Ep. 28: Grace, Grit, and Guiding Dancers, with Stella Abrera

Date: October 27, 2025
Host: Alissa Hsu Lynch
Guest: Stella Abrera

Overview

In this episode, Alissa Hsu Lynch welcomes Stella Abrera—renowned former principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre (ABT), arts leader, and current artistic director of the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (JKO) School. Their conversation explores Stella's early influences, her rise through ballet's demanding ranks, overcoming a career-altering injury, her transition into arts leadership, and the life lessons she's carrying forward into motherhood and mentorship. With warmth and candor, Stella shares how grace, grit, and an unyielding circle of support have shaped her journey—and now inform her vision for the next generation of dancers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Early Influences and Family Foundations

• Stella’s Diverse Upbringing (02:30)
  • Stella shares the blend of discipline and artistry instilled by her civil engineer father and classical pianist mother, along with the noisy, supportive energy from being the youngest of five.
  • Quote:

    "Looking back, I think that really captures the blend of discipline and artistry that I would take with me throughout my career." (02:46)

  • Her eldest sister’s passion for dance was the spark that got Stella off the couch and into her first ballet class at five. She immediately felt at home:

    "From that moment I stepped into that studio, I was absolutely in my element. I knew where I belonged and launched my lifelong love story with ballet." (03:19)

Climbing to Principal: Perseverance and Support

• Path to Principal Dancer (04:31)
  • Achieving principal status after 19 years required daily perseverance, “obsessive passion,” and the fortitude to move through setbacks.
  • The ballet world’s high stakes—performing for thousands nightly—demanded adaptability and consistency.
  • Quote:

    "Reaching the level I did was never a solo endeavor. It was the combo of hard work, hard patience, so much patience, and a strong circle of trusted advisors, mentors, and a support system." (05:48)

• The Promotion Moment (06:25)
  • Stella recalls the kindness and anticipation of promotion announcements at ABT’s company meetings. Her inclusion as principal, alongside Misty Copeland, remains a career highlight.

    “…he named both Misty Copeland and I principal dancer at the end of that list. And it was one of the most wonderful memories I think I have of my time as a dancer.” (07:15)

The Challenges of Iconic Roles & Mentors’ Influence

• Tackling Classic Roles (07:51)
  • Stella found classical ballets the most testing, particularly Aurora, Giselle, and Gamzatti, demanding greater technique and mental strength than her early contemporary roles.
  • Mentorship was crucial, especially from coaches like Georgina Parkinson, Susan Jaffe, and Irina Kolpakova.
  • Stella notes ABT’s balance of tradition and innovation—working with choreographers like Twyla Tharp and Alexei Ratmansky pushed her artistic boundaries:

    "I always came away from those new creations having found that I pushed myself through limits that I thought were unreachable." (10:16)

Resilience Through Injury and Redefining Success

• The Sciatic Injury Saga (11:08)
  • Stella recounts suffering a debilitating sciatic nerve injury that left her unable to walk and took two years for recovery. The injury, occurring when she should have debuted in Giselle, was misdiagnosed, leading to extended frustration and depression.
  • Quote:

    "Any athlete who navigates a major injury, go through process, go through disappointment and devastation, you succumb and there's a moment of acceptance and then curiosity and experimentation... My perseverance and resiliency was steadfast. I actually never had a moment where I thought I should give up." (12:59)

  • Music as Solace
    She leaned on Leonard Cohen’s lyric, “There’s a crack in everything and that’s how the light gets in” as an anthem (14:45), and recalls the joy of walking again to “So Long, Marianne.”
  • Returning with New Purpose
    After fundraising to help rebuild a typhoon-destroyed school in the Philippines, Stella’s meaningful debut as Giselle in Manila led to international opportunities and, eventually, her long-awaited debut as Giselle at the Met—fulfilling a lingering dream.

    "An electrifying night and one I'll never forget. And at the end of that season, I was promoted to principal with Misty." (18:35)

Embracing Growth Beyond the Stage

• Harvard’s Crossover to Business Program (19:54)
  • Post-performing, Stella sought to embrace discomfort and vulnerability, learning about the business side of the arts, philanthropy, and verbal leadership at Harvard.

    "...while I had been a very passionate performer, an artist, that understanding the business side of my field was essential for a successful life beyond the stage..." (20:24)

  • She advocates saying “yes” to new opportunities, even if fearful, to prompt growth.

Ballet’s Leadership Lessons in Life and Business

• Transferable Skills (21:57)
  • Teamwork, collaboration, resourcefulness, and accountability are dance-derived leadership skills Stella deploys in her current role.
  • Quote:

    "Leadership isn't about individual talent. It's about surrounding yourself with people who challenge you and support you and help you grow and lift you up." (22:38)

Vision for the Next Generation at ABT JKO School

• Paying Leadership Forward (23:30)
  • Stella describes her “lab-like” approach at JKO, supporting students’ individual voices while upholding ABT’s legacy of artistic excellence.
  • She balances rigorous technique with encouraging diverse movement perspectives and personal expression:

    "...it's about becoming a thoughtful and expressive artist and good citizen." (24:39)

  • She seeks to honor the past while inspiring students “to push boundaries, explore new ideas, and find their own voices in ballet.” (25:44)

Partnership and Life: Collaboration with Sasha Radetsky

• Shared Artistic & Personal Journey (26:49)
  • Stella and Sasha Radetsky’s joint work at ABT—she at JKO, he leading the Studio Company—is an extension of their ongoing artistic partnership and commitment to nurturing new dancers.
  • Quote:

    "Working alongside Sasha, you know, we collaborate closely to create a seamless pipeline from the JKO school to the studio company and onto APT's main stage." (27:10)

Embracing Motherhood and New Beginnings

• On Expecting a Child (27:58)
  • Stella and Sasha are happily awaiting their first child and Stella shares in-the-moment feelings about body changes and balancing excitement with the demands of her leadership role.
• Advice to Her Younger Self (28:39)
  • Lean into curiosity, allow yourself perspective, value mentorship, and know that setbacks—though inevitable—are times of learning and transformation.
  • Quote:

    "Sometimes the path to success isn't linear, but that's okay. And success can and will still happen." (29:39)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Community:

  "Leadership isn't about individual talent. It's about surrounding yourself with people who challenge you and support you and help you grow and lift you up." – Stella Abrera (00:00 & 22:38)

• On Adversity and Art:

  "There's a crack in everything and that's how the light gets in." – Quoting Leonard Cohen, Stella explains how this lyric guided her through recovery. (14:45)

• On Embracing Discomfort:

  "Growth happens when you step outside your comfort zone and when you expand your perspective." – Stella Abrera (21:22)

• On Artistic Mentorship:

  "ABT also puts a lot of energy and resources towards commissioning new works so that our art form continues to evolve and push forward." (09:39)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------------|------------| | Stella’s early family and first exposure to ballet | 02:30 | | Path to principal dancer, value of perseverance | 04:31 | | Announcement of promotions at ABT | 06:25 | | Tackling classical roles, importance of mentors | 07:51 | | Details of injury and journey back | 11:08 | | Musical solace, debut as Giselle in Manila | 14:45 | | Harvard’s Crossover to Business Program | 19:54 | | Leadership lessons from ballet | 21:57 | | Vision for ABT JKO School | 23:30 | | Artistic partnership with Sasha Radetsky | 26:49 | | News of first child / transition into motherhood | 27:58 | | Advice to her younger self | 28:39 |

Conclusion

With remarkable honesty, Stella Abrera traces her path from the youngest child in a lively Filipino-American household to the heights of the ballet world, through devastating injury and rebirth, and into her current role cultivating the next wave of dance talent. Her story is a celebration of resilience, mentorship, and the interconnectedness of creative and leadership journeys. Whether for aspiring dancers or anyone navigating change, her insights are rich lessons about rising after setbacks, leaning on community, and embracing vulnerability on the leadership stage.