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FLARE Class Descriptions

Friday

2:00-4:00pm Meet & Greet Tea Time

4:00-5:30pm

• Booties Up with Freya and Nevertheless
  • In this class, come learn a dynamic sequence that tends to be sustainable and is a great introduction to level changes, body mechanics, and learning how bodies move in the air. This class will demonstrate a suspension sequence using a booty basket and a back loading chest harness.

• The Heart of Kazami Ryu with JD66
  

  • I was once asked to give the elevator description of Kazami Ryu, the answer was simple: BALANCE. Balance in the Kazami Style means embracing what the model brings to the scene by showcasing their beauty, by respecting them with beautiful, sustainable poses. In this class we will explore a suspension or two, and discuss and demonstrate through doing what Balance means in the Kazami style.
    
    Prerequisites: Being able to tie a suspension-worthy TK or similar harness, practiced upline management, and some basic suspension experience.

6:00-7:30pm

• Torturous Partials: Exploring Sensation Play and Masochism with Lexa Grace and Shakti Bliss
  

  • In "Torturous Partials," Shakti Bliss and Lexa Grace will guide you through an exploration of the thrilling world of partial suspensions as a standalone experience. What creates stress? Together we will discuss personal definitions of torture, cultural references to suffering, and methods of learning these associations with your play partners. Breath, body, balance, and time are all additives to the emotional arc of a scene with partials and in this class we will explore putting these puzzle pieces together as we navigate play. Whether you are a rigger or a bottom, this class will provide valuable insights and techniques to ignite your passion for the art of sensation play and masochism.

   

• Co-Topping with Gravity with Lief and Icarus
  
  • When suspending someone in rope most people see a Top and Bottom, but they forget the third and most important player in this scene, Gravity. In this class we will talk about gravity and its role in your rope suspension scene. We will explore how to create balance in the air, how to find it, how to utilize it to our advantage. Once understanding balance, we will use gravity as our co-top to create an intense, unique experience for our bottoms. Once we understand the effects of gravity on them we will add even more weight to give us a broader scope of how adding more weight makes a suspension more intense. By the end of class, you will have a new view into your rope suspensions or at least know how to add rocks to rope like they do on the internet.
    
    Kind of Class: Suspension theory, hands-on points
    Skill Level: Advanced
    Prerequisites: non-collapsing single column ties, structural body harnesses, rope suspension knowledge and practice. This shouldn’t be your first suspension class.
    Materials needed: Rope - 8 to 12 hanks of jute or hemp. All suspension gear needed to create a point and uplines including suspension ring, climbing straps, and carabiners.
    Cutting Tool - Make sure you bring a cutting tool for safety. If you do not have a cutting tool, you will not be able to participate in the exercises.
    

8:00pm - 2:00am DUNGEON

Saturday

10:00-11:30am

• Tying the Energetic Body with Shakti Bliss and Lexa Grace
  

  • This is a roundtable discussion based class on the Somatix of body positioning in advanced suspension. How do the harnesses that you choose for the body affect the emotional arc of a scene? How can you incorporate complementary poses and shapes into your creativity for suspension sequence? What is the value of understanding how positioning affects your rope bottom emotionally as well as anatomically? These are all things that we will discuss together in a lead discussion, rooted in the energetics of the body.

• Unlocking the Secrets of the Armbinder with Nkay and Niho_Mano
  

  • The armbinder was once our biggest challenge, and now it is a tie that we love and use in a variety of ways, including long multi-position performances. In this class, we will discuss and test multiple options and components that can be used to create functional armbinders for different bodies and different positions. This is not a pattern specific class, this is a deep dive into the "why" and "how." We discuss important and inter-related topics including: anatomy and physiology, body manipulation, and anchoring, in addition to harness structures and a bit of the physics involved. We even cover options for more extreme suspensions using the tie. The hands-on portion gives each tying pair the opportunity to explore and discover the unique combination that works best for them, at their individual experience and risk level.

12:00pm-1:30pm

• The Falling Leaf Suspension Sequence with JD66
  

  • In this class we will demonstrate and then tie a sequence known in Japan as “the falling leaf” due to it reminding people of the way a leaf falls. This sequence can be done on a single point, bamboo, or multiple points. We will go over the harnesses used, how to progress to the starting point of the falling leaf, and then the falling of the leaf.
    Prerequisites: Being able to tie a suspension-worthy TK or similar harness, practiced upline management, and some basic suspension experience.

• Suspension and the Single Tail with EM and Nirathekitten
  
  • Merging impact play and suspension is one of the more ambitious scene choices one can make in BDSM play. Come learn from someone for whom that is a favorite activity. This class will teach you how to merge your whips into a rope scene as fluidly as possible. Considerations involving the selection of ties and body positions, along with throwing positions and techniques, will be focused upon. Expect to suspend your partner and receive hands-on instruction in how to most fully take advantage of their situation, should you happen to have a short whip present.

1:30-3:00pm LUNCH ON YOUR OWN

3:00-4:30pm

• Breath Play in Rope with Lief and Icarus
  

  • This is an advanced class that is taught with respect and acknowledgement of how dangerous breath play in rope can be. We see it all the time, neck rope, suffocation, maybe the occasional plastic bag. However, there is no “how-to guide” on how to do this in a truly consensual way while being risk-aware of the many dangerous potential outcomes. In this class, we will talk about the dangers of breath play, both short and long term. We will build consent with our partners for the kind of breath play that we want. We will talk about different forms of breath play and most importantly, how to incorporate it into our rope scenes. We will demo how to use different forms of breath play and learn ties that you can incorporate into your rope. All the knowledge you will obtain from this class will prepare you to be an informed breath player.
    Kind of Class: Hands-on
    Skill Level: Beginner
    Prerequisites: Non-collapsing single column ties.
    Materials needed: Rope - 8 to 12 hanks of rope, material doesn’t matter.

• Full Contact Rope - Using Rope in Rough Body Play Scenes with Niho_Mano and Nkay
  
  • Join us to explore some ways to combine rope bondage and rough body play. In this interactive class, we will show creative ways to use rope in takedown and capture play, as well as tying the body in positions that facilitate different types of rough body play. You should have some prior rope experience, and a basic understanding of body mechanics and the risks of rough body play. This is an interactive class, so please bring 2-4 pieces of bondage rope. 

5:00-6:30pm

• Agura Transitions with EM and Nirathekitten
  

  • The Agura Shibari, also known as the lotus leg tie, is a highly versatile technique that can be modified to be either very supportive or sadistic. This harness can be used to achieve unconventional twists on traditional poses, which will be explored in this class. However, it's important to note that an Agura pattern will not be taught during the class. Students are required to show up with a pattern they have previously tied and suspended successfully.

• The Sensation of Gravity with Lexa Grace and Shakti Bliss
  

  • Depart from the conventional suspension paths in rope and join Lexa & Bliss in the exploration of gravity. This class simplifies suspension play to focus on sensation, play, and using uplines as an additive. Rather than adhering to predefined patterns, participants will rely on unplanned, asymmetrical ties to immobilize the bottom and increase chosen sensations in the body. The focus shifts from traditional rope “rules” to free-form applications while relying on the underbelly of advanced tying skills. Break away from rigid patterns, foster a deeper connection with your partner (and their body), and enjoy infinite possibilities of involving gravity as a player in suspension.

8:00pm-2:00am DUNGEON

Sunday

11:00am-12:30pm

• Why Can't You Breathe? Look At All This Air! with Nevertheless and Freya
  

  • Commonly, positional asphyxiation is used to compress the lungs. This class discusses the inverse. By expanding the torso and “flattening” the lungs, it not only makes it difficult to inhale but becomes very mind-gamey. There is SO MUCH AIR. Right there. Right in front of you. But you just can’t get it.

• Oppositional Forces in Suspension with JD66
  

  • Sometimes when we are playing in suspension we want to amp up the stress factor on our bottoms. One way to do this is through oppositional force. It can be as simple as adding a dangling thing like a rock or kettle bell. But there can be some other options where we can have much more control over the amount of tension etc. In this class we will explore those other options of inducing some “fun” into our scenes.
    Prerequisites: Being able to tie a suspension-worthy TK or similar harness, practiced upline management, and some basic suspension experience.

1:00-2:30pm

• Bondage with Needles - Hold Still While I Stab You! with Niho_Mano and Nkay
  

  • Do you like the idea of bondage that is deep? Even under the skin? Join us to explore some techniques that can be used for bondage and predicament play with needles and sutures. We will discuss ways to create scary predicaments and micro-bondage techniques that can range from mild to intense. We will also discuss safety, anatomy and preparation.
    ***Trigger Warning*** There will be blood in the demo portion of the class.

• Heavy Play with EM and Nirathekitten
  

  • Severe objectification. Degradation. Terror. Tormenting your partner until they're broken and we've delved into CNC territory. This class is going to focus on how to take someone apart in a scene with precision and careful observation, and how to put them back together in a way that makes your connection and mutual trust stronger. This is not simply a discussion. Much of the class will be spent watching someone tormented in front of you. If such sessions are a passion of yours, this class is for you. If there is any chance that severely heavy play might trigger you? We ask that you avoid attending this class.

3:00-4:30pm

• Passivity in Rope with Lief and Icarus
  

  • Description: Passivity in rope bondage can be a loaded topic but one that we find to be an important part of our rope relationship. How do we let go and surrender to rope while still protecting ourselves? Is there a way that top and bottom can work together to create the necessary conditions for release? In this class we will explore the idea of passivity in our bodies and then translate it into a rope suspension.
    Kind of Class: Hands-on
    Skill Level:Advanced
    Prerequisites: Anyone can come to observe the class and try any of the floor exercises. If you want to suspend: You will need foundational suspension knowledge including sustainable harnesses and proficient upline management.
    This is a class on trust and intimacy and is best taken by pairs that have tied together before.
    Materials needed: Rope - 8 to 12 hanks of jute or hemp. All suspension gear needed to create a point and uplines including suspension ring, climbing straps, and carabiners. Cutting Tool - Make sure you bring a cutting tool for safety. If you do not have a cutting tool, you will not be able to participate in the exercises.
    

• Adagio with Freya and Nevertheless
  

  • In other practices, adagio is a time to make skill into art and to perfect your uniqueness. In this class, learn ways to take it slow, instill emotion, and tie purposefully.

5:00pm Closing Remarks and Comedown

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