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Now, if we Pinoys back home can get our acts together just as these exemplary Pinoys are doing abroad.
While the rest of America is applauding Misty Copeland’s appointment as the first black principal dance at the American Ballet Theater, in this part of the world, we’re cheering for Filipino-American Stella Abrera, who was also promoted to principal dancer in the same company.
A huge deal the world over because both Misty and Stella are, well, both ‘dancers of color’ as The FilAm.net describes the newly promoted dancers.
According to the same website, “The Philippine-born Stella has performed as a guest artist across the United States and Europe as well as with the Australian Ballet, The Royal New Zealand Ballet and Ballet Philippines. She is from South Pasadena, California.”
Impressive, no? In 1996, she joined the American Ballet Theater as a member of the corps de ballet. In 2001, she was made a soloist.
Notes TheFilAm.net, “her repertoire with ABT included Calliope in Apollo, Gamzatti in La Bayadere, the Ballerina in The Bright Stream, the Fairy Gotmother in Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella, Mercedes and the Driad Queen in Don Quixote.”
But even then, Stella has stayed close to her roots. “Nineteen years after joining ABT, even with her grueling schedule of practice and performance, Stella stays close to her roots, giving back whenever she can. The dancer founded a charity, Steps Forward, in the Philippines, helping children gain access to education,” notes CBS Los Angeles.
Coconuts Manila caught up with Abrera in September last year where we pestered here to tell us 10 things she likes about Manila. In her list were eating longganisat at Sev’s Café, watching Manila sunsets from Bayleaf and shopping at SM Department Store.
Photo: ABT/TheFilAm.net
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