SARAH TONER began her career as a ballerina, with the National Ballet of Portugal. After 2 years she returned to London to teach at The Arts Educational Schools where she developed a unique jazz/ballet class.
…Back to the stage… Sarah joined the London City Ballet and enjoyed performing soloist and principal roles until she was lured away to dance with the Pet Shop Boys on their ‘Performance’ world tour. Sarah also then had the joy of performing at the Almeida Theatre in Islington (her home territory) from where the show ‘Is that all there is?’ was taken to New York (her favourite place on earth!). Sarah spent many years between London and New York, performing at ‘La Mama’ Theatre, Radio City Music Hall and the Joyce Theatre. She studied ballet with some of New York’s top ballet teachers who have provided the inspiration for her ballet teaching today. She also discovered Gyrotonic through her dance colleagues in New York, which lead her to train as a teacher in the Gyrotonic System.
Sarah has also enjoyed a career in modelling; in editorial shoots, working with photographers such as Anthony Crickmay and Chris Nash; on the catwalk, she was involved in both London and Paris fashion weeks. You may see sarah peering at you through a shop window, as she was also used as a prototype for shop mannequins!
After a freelance performance in London, Sarah was approached by Sir Kenneth Macmillan of the Royal Ballet. Encouraged by him to return to a Ballet Company, she joined the Birmingham Royal Ballet and spent two years with them before departing again for New York. After this trip, Sarah traded her Pointe shoes for pampers and embraced motherhood!!
After over 25 years of performing and teaching, Sarah devised her ultimate deportment class ‘Fabulous in High Heels’: an exercise class that has women from all walks of life (from full time Mothers to Lawyers to Fashionistas) scrambling for a lesson. Sarah’s book ‘Fabulous in High Heels’ describes how to walk beautifully in high
heels through three real women, although names are changed in the book!
Sarah still teaches ballet and dancing to adults and children at her studio in North London and she is currently working on her second exercise book as well as a series of short stories that address many issues to do with self-esteem.
2009 brings the first teacher trainings for the ‘Fabulous in High Heels’ classes.
Photo Nick Delaney.
IVANA NOHEL loves diamonds... in fact, anything else that sparkles - and that includes a few people ...but not many. Career path? More of a six lane super highway than a path... and very a scenic one.
Born in Prague, moved to Vancouver with her mum and Dad who wanted her to escape a future of wearing a red scarf tied around her neck (the Communist Party has a limited colour range). Vancouver, Canada… spectacularly beautiful but limited for an aspiring …well… whatever she was aspiring to at that time.
A degree in Anthropology – WHY??? People ...and all of the things they do / and why they do it... fascinate Ivana. So back to Europe she went (much to the dismay of her family) . Alas, so important for her to be in close proximity to the Crown Jewels (any crown jewels).
Ivana’s career began at BBC TV in the costume department, followed by work in TV and Theatre (costumes, sets and props) – later in Fashion, her own label in partnership with a St Martin’s Fashion Graduate, working as a designer for Shirin Cashmere, Jean Muir and Janet Reger Lingerie. Leaving the Fashion world, Ivana worked for Hasbro, designing Sindy dolls, Copyright Promotions Licensing Group as their Art Director managing style guides and artistic direction for the European merchandising programmes for properties as Mr Men, Lucasfilm, and Sony Pictures to name a few. Ivana’s final stint in the corporate field (and her favourite) was spent at Disney working as the Creative Head of their Toy Development Team for seven years.
Ivana now works freelance as an Illustrator, Stylist and Design Consultant. Ivana lives in Hackney with her fabulous Jack Russell, Rocky (named after the flying squirrel, not the film).
Photo Charles H. Fegen.