Tempo and Tension

Drama! Intrigue! Suspense! In this shibari tutorial, Tifereth and her model Irkalla delve into how to use tempo and tension to weave greater intention and emotional impact into your rope scenes. Conveying your intention as a rigger, show definition is about more than just the active parts of the tying process. As queen of dramatic rope performances Tifereth explains, so much of the story lives in the pauses, in the shifts of rhythm, breath and eye contact, in the use of space and control of the flow of time. In the classes that follow, she explains how to begin working these concepts into your own rope practice. In the first class, Tifereth and Irkalla demonstrate a rope-free drill focused on helping you develop a sense of intimacy, connection and shared purpose with your tying partner. Tifereth’s advice? Start slowly, gradually add movement and try to match each other’s intention. And while you’re at it, don’t default to the tying partner always being the leading partner – there’s a lot to be learned from following too. In the second class, Tifereth demonstrates the evocative power of timing, tempo and how and when you play with pauses – both for communication intention to the person in your ropes as well as, in the case of performance rope, to an audience. In the final class, the speed and pressure of your rope application join this heady mix, with practical advice for how to create high intensity on an emotional level without creating unsafe physical tension in your ties. This class is appropriate for all levels, and is ideal for performance rope or anyone wanting to level up connection, intention and “interesting emotional consequences” in their rope scenes.