In her first season as a principal at American Ballet Theatre, Stella Abrera experienced a kind of exhaustion she'd never known before. “For 14 years, I got used to gearing up to do one pas de deux or one solo, and I would usually feel fresh beforehand," says 38-year-old Abrera, who was promoted in 2015. “It was new to be so fatigued before I had to go on for the second or third act."

Instead of fighting fatigue, Abrera, here in Le Corsaire, uses it to relax her nerves. PC Rosalie O'Connor, Courtesy ABT.

She quickly learned not to freak out or fight the feeling. Instead, Abrera began to use each intermission to calmly recharge with an electrolyte-rich drink and a few bites to eat—some banana, some nut bar and a few gummy bears.

Rather than obsess over fatigue, she reframes it as a way to help her relax her nerves, trusting that adrenaline will kick in when she needs it. “Adrenaline is maybe my favorite drug," she jokes. “I don't feel any pain, just a burst of energy. It's kind of unreal. It's something I never feel until I'm onstage."

The downside of adrenaline, however, is how long it takes for the buzz to wear off. “After every big show I had this season, I didn't nod off until 4 am, and then I would wake with a jolt two hours later."

Knowing how high the risk of injury can be when she's had so little sleep, Abrera takes extra care to listen to her body: Any rehearsals the next day are just for muscle memory; none are danced full-out. She looks forward to her day off to recuperate with a massage, homemade pancakes and, ideally, nine hours of sleep.