Self-Tying & Foundations of Self-Suspension

a rope workshop with Parker RopeBoi

This hands-on class presents key skills for self-tying and foundations for self-suspension, taught by respected self-suspension instructor Parker RopeBoi.

This workshop include risks and risk-reducing measures, and similarities and differences in risk and approaches between self-suspension and partner suspension. 

The hands-on portion of the class will include skill-building exercises for practicing key self-tying skills that are also foundational for self-suspension, such as:

• one-handed tying
• tying without seeing
• using your toes
• using your core
• using your face
• determining the harness(es) that are best for your individual body

For participants who have sufficient rope skills on the ground to go to the air, the workshop will also introduce self-suspension techniques.  If ready for this content, participants can learn:

• specific self-suspension methods and practice
• up-line techniques and tie-offs optimized for self-suspension
• self-suspension planning
• techniques for going up and coming down in self-suspension
• proprioception, body awareness, and physical control in self-suspension
• the importance of self-leveling and relative heights in self-suspension 
• participants who are relatively new to self-suspension can learn a relatively static face-up self-suspension; more advanced self-suspenders have the option to learn some additional transitions and positions
• other tips and tricks for self-suspension based on the needs, skills level, and questions of the participants

About the Instructor: Parker RopeBoi (they/them) has been teaching and performing rope self-suspension since 2008, at major rope venues including Tethered Together (New England), Twisted Windows (San Francisco), Vox Body Studio (San Francisco), Anatomie Studios (London, UK), Dark Odyssey Winter Fire/Fusion/Surrender (Maryland/DC/California), International Ms. Leather/Ms. Bootblack,  RopeCraft (Chicago), Shibaricon (Chicago), NARIX (Ann Arbor; Philadelphia, and Tampa), Bondage Expo Dallas, The Floating World (NJ), Bound in Boston, Ropes in Motion (Montreal), Tension (Montreal), Folsom Street East (NYC), Folsom Street Fair (San Francisco), Bound (London), Temple New York, and the inaugural 2025 EXIST conference in Montreal, the first conference devoted to self-tying.  Known for their innovative self-suspension techniques and highly dynamic self-suspensions, Parker loves to share their passion for self-tying and tips and tricks from 16+ years of self-tying and teaching.  Bringing self-suspension into galleries, theaters, and nightlife venues, Parker has received support for their rope performance art from the Alliance of Resident Theaters-New York and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.  Parker  hosts the monthly Queer Rope Social rope jam in New York City.