Bondage Club Ann Arbor Presents: Fuoco's Rope Bottoming Weekend Intensive

Bondage Club Ann Arbor Presents
Fuoco's Rope Bottoming Weekend Intensive

Bondage Club Ann Arbor is proud to present a special weekend workshop intensive by international circus arts and rope bondage phenomenon, Fuoco. An acclaimed teacher and award-winning performing artist, Fuoco brings years of professional-level training and experience to the classroom. Ann Arbor is the first stop on her nine-city North America teaching tour, and we are exceptionally lucky to have this opportunity to learn with her.

About Fuoco
Fuoco began her rope journey as a bottom in Phoenix four years ago. Since then she had the good fortune to spend a year in London, where she gained exposure to the broader European rope scene and had the opportunity to work with some incredibly talented bottoms and riggers. Since moving back to the US, she has presented at cons around the country sharing her love of rope. She is switchy in rope and a vocal advocate for rope bottoms.

When she’s not doing rope, fuoco is a full time circus student, and she is constantly training to build strength and flexibility. Her dedicated study of the mechanics of the body makes her especially interested in developing more comprehensive education for bottoms informed by these practices. She enjoys using rope as another aerial apparatus and loves high energy, dynamic suspension bondage.

A Note for ROPE TOPS:
This is going to be an extraordinary workshop for you as well. This is your opportunity to learn about body mechanics in rope from a true expert in her field. Also, this is also your chance to support the bottoms who have made your education possible up to now. You'll want to stick around for the whole weekend, and your skills will be needed after the lunch break each day (very experienced self-suspenders should be okay to fly solo). So, step up to the plate and get ready to learn something completely new to you.

ONLY TEN (10) EARLY BIRD WEEKEND PASSES OFFERED

Schedule

Day 1

9:15 AM - Doors Open (students must arrive by 9:45 AM)
10:00 AM to 12:00 PM - Flexy with Fuoco
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM - Lunch Break
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM - Being A Responsible Rope Bottom
3:00 PM to 5:00 PM - A Study in Inversions

Day 2

9:15 AM - Doors Open (students must arrive by 9:45 AM)
10:00 AM to 1:00 PM - Body Aware Bottoming
1:00 PM to 2:00 PM - Lunch Break
2:00 PM to 5:00 PM - Guided Bottoming Lab Time

Class Descriptions

Flexibility with Fuoco

This workshop addresses mobility and flexibility in the areas most used by rope bottoms- the shoulders, back, and hips. The workshop begins with a discussion on the how-tos of developing flexibility and mobility and concludes with a stretch session designed to target these three areas. We will focus on how to develop strong, stable, and open shoulders, principles of deeper back bending, and unlocking tightness in the hips. Attendees will learn the difference between mobility and flexibility, and how to practically apply that knowledge into their own stretching routines. This class is intended for people of all flexibility levels.

Being a Responsible Bottom

This workshop is all about what it means to be a responsible bottom. We will discuss things like: Is injury in rope inevitable? What actions can you take to mitigate injury, and what decisions do you make that make you more susceptible to injury? We’ll examine how to evaluate a rigger’s skill and how to navigate rope scenes accordingly to mitigate risk. In order to make informed decisions about who to tie with and what sort of rope is safe to do with riggers of different skill levels, bottoms have to have some basic understanding of what safe and unsafe rope looks and feels like. We’ll discuss the importance of structurally sound harnesses and how to identify safe harnesses, lock offs, and uplines. We’ll talk about what level of skill you should look for before doing floorwork, suspension, and dynamic suspension with a partner. We’ll also talk about what it feels like to be in a harness that isn’t tied properly, and what language to use to best communicate to your rigger what you’re feeling in their rope.This workshop is intended to empower bottoms to feel confident in their ability to protect their bodies in rope.

A Study in Inversions

In this class, we will focus on different hip harnesses and futomomos. We will discuss how to decide which harnesses to use, how to attach to those harnesses, and how that will affect the shape of your suspension. Bottoms and tops will be encouraged to test out various harnesses and attachment points to discover what works best for them.
This class assumes students have knowledge of/experience in: futomomo, a hip harness, and locked-off suspension lines.

Body Aware Bottoming

Tops and bottoms are quick to say that body awareness is a highly desirable quality in a rope bottom. But what is body awareness? How do we cultivate body awareness as a skill? And how does it inform our rope bottoming? This class will consist of a discussion on what it means to be a "body aware bottom" followed by a number of exercises designed to help you evaluate and cultivate your own body awareness. Plan on doing a bit of stretching, strengthening, and general getting in touch with your body in new ways.

Bottoming Lab Time

Lab time isn't just for riggers! This day is about creating time and space for bottoms to explore their likes, dislikes, and limits. Fuoco will suggest and demonstrate a suspension sequence designed to cover some of the more challenging aspects of bottoming, and will discuss how she and others manage different sorts of positional stress and pain. You'll have the opportunity to put to use what you learned about your bodies in the air.

Logistics and Other Important Information

• We want EVERYONE: tops, bottoms, switches, and all in between. Each ticket is valid for attendance by a tying pair. This means that the primary ticketholder should be the person getting tied up this weekend. We encourage partnerships, so that primary ticketholder is allowed to bring an additional person to tie them, and learn alongside one another. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Cannon.
• If you don't have a partner to tie you, you're still welcome to attend solo--the price is the same. We strongly recommend finding a partner to work with for the classes. See the Bondage Club Ann Arbor FetLife group for a post on others looking to partner up. Carpooling is encouraged.
• Tickets are transferable, but non-refundable.
• The event will take place in a studio in south Ann Arbor. The exact address will be emailed to paid ticketholders.
• If you are traveling from out of town, we recommend booking a hotel or AirBnB in or near this general area.
• EventBrite sometimes likes to include instructions about printing out and bringing your tickets. Ignore those instructions--you do not need to print your tickets.
• No accompanying play party or performance is scheduled at this time.
• If the cost of the event would present a financial hardship to you, please contact the event organizer, and we'll do our best to work something out. We want you to be here.
• This will be an intense experience. Prepare yourself.

What to Bring:

• Comfortable clothes you can move freely in
• Water bottle
• Blanket or yoga mat
• Snacks to keep your energy up through the day
• Cash for lunch
• Carabiners, rope
• Pen and paper for notes

Prerequisites for suspension activities
Riggers/self-suspenders - locked-off suspension lines & suspension worthy chest harness and futomomo
Bottoms - experience with partial or full suspensions

Attendees who do NOT meet the above prerequisites will be asked to observe during the suspension portion of each class.