Instructors
Haag (he/they) is a professional rope bondage teacher and runs the Ellipsis Rope Events Foundation based in Rotterdam (NL). He has hosted rope events ranging from international workshops, to performances, demonstrations and rope jams for more than a decade. Haag is passionate about photography, community work and teaching. His tying style is focused on safety, knowledge/experience-based improvisation, high paced tying, dynamic movement, and creativity. He has a very technical approach to rope which is complemented by his dance background, psychology studies and various hobbies that incorporate fine motor skills. Fetlife, Instagram
Pendragon (she/they) has been rope bottoming since 2018, tying with Haag since 2019, teaching since 2020 and volunteering at Ellipsis Rope Events in Rotterdam since 2023. In ropes she enjoys experiencing passionate yet conflicting feelings, physical/emotional challenges and power dynamics, be it playful or dark. As a rope bottom, she benefits from her emotional and physical awareness, and, with her background in literature, enjoys writing stories in ropes whenever so inspired. She values integrity, authenticity and solidarity in rope bottoming, and these values are reflected in workshop settings where relevant. Having been a teacher in a previous life, she enjoys sharing her experiences and seeing people immediately feel skillful and joyful. Fetlife, Instagram
For whom?
This workshop is divided into two days where people have the option to attend either one or both days. The workshop days have overlapping themes, but the second day includes more challenging exercises for both tying roles. This will be a multi-level workshop, meaning that exercises are mostly adjustable to our experience-, risk- and preference levels (also in accordance with the comfort level of the presenters). The workshop is ideal for those who are looking to diversify their rope sessions and enjoy both the creative, conceptual and technical aspects of rope bondage. Switching is allowed as long as both parties fulfill the requirements mentioned below.
Day one will focus on floorwork. Those in an earlier stage of their rope journey will be exposed to a wide variety of concepts and techniques to inspire further exploration of their approach to rope. More experienced participants will have the opportunity to reevaluate (and likely challenge) their existing techniques and go into detailed rope handling and application skills. Both groups will gain a better understanding of anatomy and body manipulation, and can expect a fun workshop with a high density of information, room for exploration and a focus on safer tying.
Day two will incorporate partial suspension exercises. Those at an earlier stage of their rope journey will learn how to make their rope sessions more challenging while staying within one step of more sustainable and less demanding positions in order to facilitate safer play and exploration. We will also explore the concept of “non-linear rope sessions” and “accents” that both encourage variety in our sessions, but also allows us to vary the intensity and physical demand within our sessions. More experienced participants can use these concepts to add more complexity to their sessions. They will explore alternative ways to use uplines and adjust familiar harnesses to suit their tying needs. Both groups will be exposed to unconventional ways to apply rope and move their partners.
Workshop Content
Throughout both workshop days the following topics will be covered:
FIRST WORKSHOP DAY:
Exploring one’s neurodiversity
By valuing and evaluating our own variation of brain function we can consciously explore how we can better achieve a flowstate, create deeper moments of connection with our partners and experience authentic creative and/or emotional expression through the medium of rope. We believe that there is not one-true-way to practice and experience rope. Instead we encourage people to explore ways that “work for them” rather than limit themselves to ways that “work for others”.
Challenging our habits
We will discuss the Mere Exposure Effect and Fixedness problems to gain a better understanding of how to break our existing habits as tops and bottoms. Through non-linear rope sessions, a more action-versus-result oriented tying style and informal deviance, we can facilitate uniqueness in our individual sessions. This topic will focus less on the “why?” and more on the “why (the fuck) not‽”.
Physiology, kinesthetics and mechanics
Knowledge on how the body (and brain) works and moves can highly improve our rope skills, confidence, and scene dynamics. Through better awareness, we are also able to improve our risk assessment before and during a session and to make constructional adjustments to suit the models (instead of adjusting the models to a predetermined tie).
Satisficing rope
“Satisficing is a decision-making strategy that aims for a satisfactory or adequate result, rather than the optimal solution. Instead of putting maximum exertion toward attaining the ideal outcome, satisficing focuses on pragmatic effort when confronted with tasks.” (Herbert Simon, 1956). The term is a combination of the words satisfy and suffice. We will explore this concept to find a balance between “accuracy & safety” versus “function & intent” and to diversify the compositions of our rope scenes. We strive to simplify our rope sessions by adhering to a few simple rules to be able to focus on our enjoyment rather than the patterns and external expectations.
SECOND WORKSHOP DAY
On the second day the following topics are added:
Anatomy-, experience- and movement-based harness improvisation
Rather than repeating patterns we can create harnesses using our knowledge of the body, borrow structures from other harnesses. We may even let our unconscious movement dictate the direction of rope and shift to a segmented rather than an assembled approach to harness construction.
Loop-techniques
We will explore a category of advanced rope handling tricks developed by Haag. These loop-techniques encourage more dynamic/movement based tying or speed tying, but are also used to diversify the rope application of your existing harnesses and therefore their tying experience. For models, looptricks can necessitate getting used to a way of keeping their footing/balance while moving which can facilitate more enjoyment of the ebb and flow of getting tied with looptricks. We will give modeling tips on anticipatory movement to match the rigger’s pace and on how to facilitate the flow of the tying session.There will be suggestions on exploring the sensations and emotions these loop-techniques can provide.
Workshop Requirements
DAY ONE Requirements for riggers (r) and models (m):
- Ability to communicate limits and wishes to your partner (r/m).
- Able to tie a single & double column tie with little effort (r).
- Basic understanding of physical signals that indicate nerve compression and blood flow issues (r/m).
- Basic understanding of various frictions, rope tension and general rope handling skills. (r)
DAY TWO Requirements for riggers (r) and models (m):
- Ability to communicate limits and wishes to your partner (r/m).
- Have attended at least one other in-person workshop by an experienced teacher (r/m)
- Fluent execution of a sustainable single & double column tie (r).
- Basic understanding of physical signals that indicate nerve compression and blood flow issues (r/m).
- Basic understanding of various frictions, rope tension and general rope handling skills. (r)
- Comfortable exploring different intensities of rope, rough body handling and dynamic movement (r/m)
Details
Date: Saturday 21. June to Sunday 22. June 2025
Saturday
09:30 Doors open
10:00 – 17:00 Workshop (including lunchbreak)
approx. 18:00 Dinner together
Sunday
09:30 Doors open
10:00 – 17:00 Workshop (including lunchbreak)
approx. 18:00 Dinner together
Venue
CRUCIBLE/Vienna
Thalhaimergasse 41
1160 Wien
Tickets
170€ per couple and day
320 € for both days
Registration
We ask all participants to register as a couple via e-mail at neuro_deviance@querverbindungen.at
Please note the cancellation policy
Language
English
Food
Snacks are provided on location.
Bring
- 8+ ropes (8 meter, jute is preferred)
- Comfortable clothing
- Personal Ropetop / Ropebottom Kit
- Note taking utensils