A Day in the Life of the Sugar Plum Fairy in San Francisco Ballet's Nutcracker

During Nutcracker, dancers take an hour-and-a-half company class on stage (the theater is the stunning San Francisco Opera House building) every morning, whether they're performing or not — it's good to keep it regular, Stahl said.

During class she makes sure her body is "in the right place for the day," as she puts it.

"On days of the show – like when I'm dancing Sugar Plum – during class I will be more aware of certain steps that are going to appear in the dance and just make sure those things are feeling good in class that day."