Rope Beyond Contact: A Somatic workshop
Saturday, June 27, 2026
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM ET
Maine Center for Taijiquan · Portland, Maine
500 Forest ave
14 of 15 spots remaining
Rope doesn’t have to be about restraint. In this workshop, we use it as a language — a way to listen, respond, and stay present with another person without saying a word. Rope Beyond Contact (RBC) blends Shibari, contact improvisation, authentic movement, Qi Gong and Betty Martin’s Wheel of Consent. Instead of focusing on ties and technique, we focus on the conversation happening through the rope: who’s leading, who’s allowing, who’s giving, who’s receiving, and what’s actually being communicated in the tension, the pause, the movement, and the release. Through guided movement practices, playful exploration, and connection-based rope exercises, you’ll learn how to stay in relationship with yourself and another person while communicating through presence rather than words. We’ll also introduce a simple nonverbal signal system so you and your partner can remain in dialogue without breaking connection. This is slow, attuned, consent-forward work. No experience required — just a willingness to be curious, move, and explore at the pace of your own nervous system. What you’ll explore: • The four roles of the Wheel of Consent and how they show up in rope and movement • Leading, allowing, giving, and receiving through embodied practice • Contact improvisation and authentic movement as pathways to connection • A nonverbal rope-signal system for communicating without breaking presence • Foundational connection-based rope (no advanced ties needed) • How to notice and honor your own yes, no, and not-yet • Building trust, awareness, and responsiveness through rope, dance, and play Who it’s for: Anyone curious about rope as a tool for connection — couples, solo participants, movers, dancers, and folks new to shibari entirely. Bring a partner or come on your own; we’ll make sure everyone is included. Come explore what becomes possible when rope is no longer just something you do to someone, but something you create together.
Facilitators at This Event
- General Admission$33.00
