Falling Into Form

Evolving & Deepening Transitions

“Falling Into Form: Evolving & Deepening Transitions” is the second 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.

This workshop is designed for advanced participants who already possess a developed skill set on both sides of the rope, and who are comfortable with basic transition work but wish to expand the breadth of their practice, and understand Gestalta’s approach on a deeper level.

Together we will work with structures that demand nuance in transitions—such as strappados, bamboo-on-body ties, and agura—developing a deeper understanding of how to use each form for dynamic movement, and intense opportunities for play. 

Gestalta will share subtle adjustments and refinements they have honed over years of practice to make classic ties both stable and adaptable for transition work, without losing their aesthetic strength.

A note about the ‘falling into form’ workshop series

The progression of this workshop series is not necessarily defined by an increase in the complexity of technical rigging or “hard skills”.

Foundations of Fluid Transitions has a focus on basic transitions, and developing the skills students need to develop in order to perform more advanced transitions in a safe and sustainable way.

Evolving & Deepening Transitions is perhaps the most complex part of this series in terms of technical rope. It focuses on transition sequences that need a well developed skill set, from the perspective of both riggers and models, to perform in a safe and sustainable way.

Performance & Presence explores the architecture of rope scenes both on and off stage, and how we can intentionally develop our skills to create engaging narratives for both audiences, and our models.