Diverse Bodies in Rope (beginners & intermediate) - with Alexielle, Whiskey and Little Boy Blue

About the workshop

Any visit to a rope event shows that bottoms and riggers come in all shapes and sizes. Yet social media still doesn’t reflect this and many classes only address the standard, young, slim female body which leads to widespread myths and insecurities in regards to rope bottoms’ weight, age, flexibility, gender and ability.

This class aims to dispel some of these myths, discuss diverse bodies and how to adapt rope scenes and ties to them. We will discuss a variety of body shapes as well as common health conditions and disabilities that can affect tying. As this class covers several subjects surrounding rope scenes including communication and safety, it is suited to riggers as well as rope bottoms and encourages input and discussions from the participants.

We will also cover some adjustable ties, how to modify and incorporate them into floor-based play as well as exercises that can easily be practised at home.

The class has a certain amount of flexibility depending on the participant’s needs and includes open floor discussions. 

Prerequisites

Knowledge of single and double column ties.

About the facilitators

Alexielle (they/she) and Little-Boy-Blue (he/him) have been tying together for over 10 years. With Whiskey (she/they), their first tie happened right here in the studio, 5 years ago.

Through the years they went from more western style rope to transition heavy suspensions and have been focused on traditional, Japanese style rope for many years. Alexielle’s love for sadism and suffering is reflected in their current rope style and sessions tend to be playful, interactive and heavily focused on the other person's reactions. However, they also tie with a variety of bottoms including people with (rope) anxiety, health conditions, disabilities and of varying sizes and can make suspensions as enjoyable and sustainable as possible. This leads Alexielle to dive into a variety of styles to accommodate each rope bottom’s needs.

Whiskey’s rope journey began around 7 years ago, at the old Anatomie studio where she experienced her first suspension and watched her first rope performance by Kinoko. Over the years, her love for rope grew and so did her rope bottoming experience.

Little-Boy-Blue also switches and is currently learning to tie as well as being a fantastic rope photographer.

All of them have their own physical challenges as non-standard rope bottoms. Little-Boy-Blue often struggled with being the oldest and often only male rope bottom in workshops and events whereas Whiskey was one of the very few big/ger bodied rope bottoms in Japanese rope bondage. Additionally, she went through long term health issues which affected her strength and capability; she is also autistic with ADHD. Alexielle’s autism causes sensory issues as well as being impacted by hypermobility, spinal, blood flow and weight related limitations.

What should I bring and what do I wear?

For suspension workshops you must bring your own ropes that are suitable for suspension lines. Communal rope is not advisable for suspension lines.

We have a communal kitchenette, fridge and microwave. Tea and coffee are free but you should bring your food and snacks (we have plates and cutlery you can use). People usually wear comfortable clothing like yoga or dance attire. We advise against loose fitting clothing and also jeans can sometimes feel a bit restrictive to move around in and difficult to tie on.

•

For our Code of Conduct see here.

•

Please note that tickets can only be refunded or transferred up to 7 days before the event after which they become non-refundable. If you are unable to attend within 7 days, please join the 'Ticket Exchange' channel on our Discord server.