Desolation Dance

The boy and I are collaborating on a new film project called Desolation Dance.  Here's our first video.  Enjoy!


Desolation Dance number one from Heather Toner on Vimeo.

Pointe Shoe DIY

Hi Lovelies!  So first things first, I have to share my joy at the sight of reaching 100 followers on Google.  Thank you so much for your support and for clicking the follow button.  Couldn't have done it without you, quite literally...Now for 200!  ;)

So that brings me to the blog party...Anyone want to contribute?  Bueller?  Bueller?  Let me know.  Festivities take place on May 25th.  Basically I am looking for guest posts, DIY's, recipes--anything that's fun and festive!  Email me if your interested.

And finally, be sure to check out my Pointe Shoe DIY on DIY Dancer.

If you haven't perused the DIY dancer site, be sure to check it out.  Dancers of all disciplines from all over contribute and it's a fabulous blog with lots of interesting articles-- both dance and non-dance related!

Bad Ballerina Series Part 4

Legs get cold, even here in Los Angeles.  So what better way to warm up your leggies than with legwarmers, right?  Yeah, I know what you are thinking.  It's all well and good to wear legwarmers in the dance studio, but sporting them on the street requires a bit more moxy than most. 

For the 4th installment of the Bad Ballerina Series, I will show you how to get away with wearing legwarmers among civilians without looking like a fashion tragedy from the 80's. 

Firstly you have to pick good legwarmers.  If they are two corny or two bright they are going to be harder to pull off.  I suggest easing into legwarmer fashion by starting with a few basics, like black or dark maroon.  Also there are a bunch of really cool legwarmers on the market right now that use things like ruched seams or embroidered details to add a bit of style. 

Secondly, do NOT wear your legwarmers with sneakers.  You will look like you are in a 1980's workout video no matter what, so just don't even go there.  I recommend wearing legwarmers with heels or nice looking flats a la Audrey Hepburn.  If you pick heels try to pair them with stirrup legwarmers, so you can tuck the legwarmers under the heel on your arch.  This will make your legs look longer!  

Finally, while I think this look works best with a dress or skirt, not pants, I wouldn't recommend rocking this look with bare legs.  Tights, particularly black ones, will help complete the look.  This is one of those fashion choices that works better if you acknowledge where it's coming from.  Tights not only help the conversion from dress to legwarmers, they also help to invoke a dancer chic that complements the legwarmers, thus negating any tacky fashion faux pas.

Bad Ballerina Series Part 3

If you have ever taken a real ballet class you know that there is a strict dress code and that includes hair.  Ballerinas are called bunheads for a reason.  A ballet bun is not a simple updo you can do in a couple seconds.  A proper bun requires pins, hairnets and lots and lots of hairspray!  Not one strand should be out of place, and the bun should be as perfectly symmetrical as possible...like a Cinnabun! 

Putting my hair in a bun day after day was maybe the thing that I grew to hate the most about ballet.  When you are doing it everyday it can take a major toll on your locks.  Not to mention, I spent the majority of my life telling hair dressers not to cut my hair too short.  "I have to be able to get it into a bun!"  That was my haircut mantra.

On that rebellious note, I give you the 3rd installment of the Bad Ballerina Series: 

The Messy Bun!
Disclaimer: do not try this in ballet class, your teacher will have a fit! ;) 

Here is the how to~

* Gather hair into a high ponytail, but do not pull the strand all the way through the last time so you are left with a loop of hair.

* Pull sides of loop to make rubber band extra tight and fan out your loop of hair as much as possible.
* Take botton of the loop and loosely flatten against scalp in front of rubber band

* Take just a few bobby pins and pin loop of hair randomly to head and in different directions.

* Pull out a few strands of hair to give your bun even more of a messy look.

* Skip the hairspray ;)

 And there you go!  A messy ballet bun up-do that could make Baryshnikov cry!

Bad Ballerina Series Part 2

Welcome to the 2nd installment of the Bad Ballerina Series! This time I will be giving you a quick DIY on how to make your own "No-Sew Tutu" for little ballerinas!  (Actually, there is a teeny tiny bit of sewing required, but just a few stitches and can be done quickly by hand.)   Here is an example of the finished product. I made my tutu with blue and gold UCLA colors. Kind of makes me wish I knew of a little Bruin to give it to...Ah maybe one day!

What you'll need:
 
* Spools of Tulle - preferably in multiple colors  ;)
* Strip of 1 and 1/2 inch white elastic
*Scissors
*Good music and a smile

 
What to Do:
 
* Burn the edges of the elastic so they won't fray and sew the two edges together.  You can let the overlap about 1/2 inch.  Of course, for larger ballerinas, make the elastic larger and for smaller ones you can make it smaller!
* Cut about 50 strips of tulle in alternating colors.  The strips should be about a foot in length, although you will be folding in half making the length of the tutu roughly 3 and 1/2 inches from the center.  If you want a longer tutu, just make the strips longer and visa versa for a shorter tutu. 
* Tie one strip in a knot along the outside of the elastic, pulling so the ends are as even as possible (they don't need to be perfectly even, a bit of variety actually gives the tutu more depth.) 
* Continue tying tulle all around the perimeter of the elastic.  Remember to alternate colors! 

  And voila!  You have a simple and adorable handmade tutu without having to break out the sewing machine!

Here is another one I made using some different colors.  Looks like Neapolitan ice cream!

Bad Ballerina Series Part 1

The best of my pro-ballet dancing days are pretty much entirely behind me, but I still have a certain affinity and love for all things ballet-related. I still take class and like to sport a classic leo, tights and basic ballet skirt. I respect the art-form and I sport the ballerina image with as much style and grace as I can muster. Although sometimes, I feel like I have to shake it up and break free of my stuffy ballet background. I mean, I am not perfect, and I think every dancer/former dancer has a bad side. So I give you~

The Bad Ballerina Series!

So for my first entry into ballerina bad-ass-ness, I am going to show how you can take a basic ballet wrap-sweater from the barre to the street with a little flair and imagination. 

I love a soft wrap sweater when I am warming up before class, but what about after?

photo from discount dance supply

 Here I have added just a few punk-ish embellishments to give this wrap sweater a bit of a rock-n-roll edge.  A few interesting badges (not too big mind you or you could risk loosing your mystique) and a row of basic safety pins and you are good to go.  Wear with your favorite jeans, t-shirt and heels. 

Another take on this wrap sweater is to play up the very thing that makes it uncool.  That is to say, Embrace the "Granny Chic!"  Pair it with a vintage dress and add a few mix-matched unusual brooches.  If nothing else, you are creating an awesome conversation starter and staying on-top of a new fashion trend!  Plus, your ballet wrap sweater will keep you warm without lending any bulk to your outfit.  

Black Swan

This looks amazing and disturbing and I am so going to see it when it comes out.  As a ballet dancer, there is a certain fascination that I have always had for Swan Lake and the Odette/Odeill dynamic.  One dancer gets to play two amazing parts, showcasing two different sides of a woman.  In all my professional years dancing I only ever played a swan in the corps de ballet, but did plenty of performances as the Swan Queen in my bedroom growing up!  (I got rave reviews by the way.  ;) 

I've always had a kind of love/hate relationship with ballet.  Very white swan / black swan in a way.  So, on this note I should announce that I am going to be starting a new series on this here blog:

The Bad Ballerina Series

I will be sharing easy DIY's and crafty tips for all dancers, former dancers and people who just plain love ballet, but maybe aren't the most prim and proper of ballerinas.  Stay tuned!