Falling Into Form
Foundations of Fluid Transitions
“Falling Into Form: Foundations of Fluid Transitions” is the first in a series of workshops exploring Gestalta’s style of tying through the lens of transitions—not just as movement between shapes, but as a core expressive element in rope itself.
Transitioning—moving a tied body fluidly from one shape to another—has always been central to my personal style of rope. There’s a common misconception that transitions are purely performative—a kind of “circus rope” reserved for stage work. And while I do use them extensively in performance, transitions are equally at the heart of how I tie in play. They offer a way of creating narrative within a scene—shaping experience through movement—not just for visual effect, but to build emotional depth and physical connection.
I also believe that the skills I developed in order to perform transitions—fluid handling, efficient technique, quick decision-making, body awareness, and attunement to my partner—have made me a stronger rigger across all styles of rope, including those grounded in stillness and suffering such as semenawa. These abilities don’t just serve dynamic movement; they refine every aspect of rope.
In this workshop, I’ll share the methods I developed as a self-taught rigger and refined through choreographing performances, as well as techniques I acquired through dance practice and adapted to my rope. There will also be space to discuss the intersection of rope and movement technique at a more philosophical level, and explore how this approach to tying shifts the headspace of both model and rigger—how movement brings a different quality to pain and acceptance, a different rhythm, and a different way of being present together.
We’ll work with foundational transition sequences to uncover the mechanics that underpin more complex ties. These will also serve as a way to develop the skills needed to perform transitions with confidence and precision.
A note about the ‘falling into form’ workshop series
The progression of this workshop series is not defined by increasingly complex technical skills (or “hard skills”.) Instead, it offers a multi-layered approach that brings Gestalta’s extensive experience as a shibari artist into conversation with their love of dance practice, and their academic background in performance art.
Foundations of Fluid Transitions explores foundational transition sequences whilst focussing on development of the core skills—such as fluid handling, body awareness, and efficient technique—that allow more advanced transitions to become sustainable, expressive, and safe.
Evolving & Deepening Transitions works with more demanding structures and sequences that challenge students to refine their practice and expand their creative possibilities, whilst developing a deeper understanding of how to use dynamic movement to create intense opportunities for play. It is perhaps the most complex part of this series on a technical level, and requires that both riggers and models have a well developed skill set.
Performance & Presence considers the language of rope beyond structure, sequence & form—whether in the intimacy of play or in the context of performance. It explores the architecture of a rope scene and focuses on cultivating awareness, presence, and intention to create engaging narratives for both audiences, and our models.
Photo credit: Shantel Liao
Pre-requisites
All participants must have prior experience with suspension.
Riggers should be confident in using standard suspension harnesses (such as a Takate Kote, futomomo, etc.) and must be able to safely attach and lock off suspension lines under load.
Models should have experience being suspended in common harnesses, possess body awareness around nerve safety and circulation, and be able to communicate the difference between discomfort and unsustainable or unsafe sensations.
Notes
Switching is not possible at this workshop.
Teacher demonstrations will use TK-based suspensions. If your tying partner is unable to comfortably sustain a TK for extended periods, we ask that you arrive with a prepared alternative suspension harness (such as a hands-in-front variant) that can be used in a similar way.