Beyond the Shapes
Model : Rae
Some bondage shapes in semenawa have become iconic, not only because of their intensity, but because they offer endless variations. They will be our inspiration.
What happens when we stop treating a familiar shape as a goal, and start playing with the ideas behind it? What can emerge when we take a known shape as a starting point for freestyle?
This workshop is an invitation to play around familiar shapes: to explore their ideas, move away from them, build them in unconventional ways, and break out of our usual habits. We will explore ways of modifying, combining and adapting familiar bondages, not just to make something different, but to see what these changes create and where they can take the scene.
The goal is to develop tools for freestyle and build our own vocabulary from familiar shapes.
Prerequisites:
This course is suitable for riggers who are comfortable tying in suspension. Having already been tied several times in suspension is necessary for the models. Communication being a central element in shibari it is always preferable to come with a partner with whom you already practice in order to allow a good experience. It's important to have already discussed the framework of your practice (desires, intentions, limits, ways of managing consent)
Bios:
Bänana (she /they) has been practicing bondage since she was young and discovered shibari about ten years ago, drawn to its raw and authentic nature. Fascinated by the expression of emotion, she sees rope as a space for exploration, intensity, and creativity.
As a switch in her personal practice, she brings both the rigger’s and the rope bottom’s perspectives into her teaching, paying close attention to the experience of both sides of the rope. She explores rope beyond fixed roles and expectations, making space for different bodies, experiences, and ways of practicing.
As a teacher, Bänana emphasizes understanding the reasons behind techniques rather than simply learning them by rote, encouraging students to develop a deeper understanding of what they practice.
Drawn particularly to semenawa and emotional exploration, she regularly teaches internationally in both French and English, while remaining deeply attached to her cozy Paris space, La Cabäne
Rae (They/Them) is a rope bottom and aerialist focused on creating work and community that centers Queerness, disability and hope. They have been an enthusiastic performer and producer in NYC’s professional aerial and performance communities for nearly two decades, and when they finally dove headfirst into bottoming in 2022 after a lifelong obsession with rope, it was a revelation and a gift.