Vagabond and Vix’s rope have taught for or performed at a number of venues, including Cloud 9, Art Undressed, DRIP, Carnival Risque, Dulce Vida and Secrets Hideaway, as well as teaching at BLAZE and Rope Bite for The Woodshed. Their gig for Secrets was an 18-month contract where they spent four days a week teaching beginner rope classes and doing rope performances.
Although both began with traditional(ish) kinbaku, their rope evolved as they attempted to create dynamic, crowd-pleasing sequences for a wide range of ages, and now their style is an indelible mess of Japanese and Western harnesses, speed rigging techniques, aerial-inspired moves and a playlist with way too much Weeknd. Vagabond and Vix are still trying to learn whenever they can as they continue on their never-ending rope journey.
This western rope class was originally created and iterated to give absolute beginners the rope they needed to tie their partners in compromising positions now. Like, right now. To any self-respecting nawashi, it’s garbage rope. All quick cuffs, reverse tensions and half hitches, it’s rope that has no business within 500 feet of an upline but works surprisingly well within three feet of a bedpost. It’s the Reality TV of rope and, like Reality TV, it’s fun, sexy and requires very little focus. That makes it great even for experienced riggers, especially when their lovers are so distracting that they suddenly can’t remember a Sommerville to save their life. When the music is thrumming, the wine bottle’s empty and your partner is deliciously impatient, this is the rope you’re looking for. It’s not shibari. It’s bedroom rope. Prerequisites No prerequisites. We recommend bringing a few hanks of rope and a partner you are comfortable getting close with. What to Bring - 3-5 hanks of 8-meter rope (or 25-30 feet per piece) - A willing partner - Comfortable clothing that allows movement - Water bottle - Cutting tool - Notebook for taking notes (optional)
The goal of this beginner-level decorative rope class is to teach the basic needed to not only tie a number of standard decorative ties, but to also let you start creating your own! As you learn the pentagram and heart chest harnesses, diamond gloves and the pretty booty harness, you’ll learn (or review) decorative techniques like lark’s head, munter and teardrop hitches, joining rope coin knots and how to do double-color ties. The class will end with advice on how to rope jazz decorative ties to make them your own with supervised practice time to help you make your own creations! NOTE: While jute works great for decorative ties, if you have colored cotton or nylon that’s been feeling a little lonely, now’s the time to break it out! Prerequisites No prior rope experience required. This class is designed for complete beginners. What to Bring - 3-4 pieces of rope (25-30 feet each) - A willing partner - Comfortable clothing that allows movement - Water bottle - Cutting tool - Notebook for taking notes (optional)
