Workshops at the 2010 Paradise Unbound event
You must register for Paradise to attend these workshops.
Please refer to Paradise's web site for information about registration and fees.
Max will be teaching three workshops at "Paradise 2010", the Center for Sex Positive Culture's annual outdoor, cross-community sex-positive event.
Topping 101 - Getting Your Scene Started and Maintaining Momentum
Saturday September 4th, 2010
10:00 AM - noon
at Paradise 2010 in Redmond, Washington
Many of us - especially those new to topping - find the hardest part of making a scene work is getting it started. Like dancing, those first few steps are vitally important - and often the most awkward.
This workshop helps you get past those first few minutes. It's full of techniques you can use to start strongly and to keep the scene flowing when you run into bumps and hitches.
Topics include scene planning, using negotiation to jump-start a scene, maintaining momentum and dealing with problems, interruptions and unexpected twists. We'll also present a model you can use to examine your own topping style and objectives.
As with all of Max's workshops, a handout will be provided to facilitate your learning and retention.
This workshop assumes no previous BDSM experience and is appropriate for all genders, all orientations, and for both tops and bottoms.
Topping 201 - From Technique to Mastery
Saturday September 4th, 2010
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
at Paradise 2010 in Redmond, Washington
Most of us start our topping career focused on physical technique - swinging a flogger, tying knots, wielding a single tail and so on.
At some point we all look up and realize that that's the easy part - the hard parts are negotiating and planning the scene, building and maintaining connection and managing your bottom's physiological, psychological and emotional responses.
This workshop focuses on the "softer" parts of topping and covers topics like:
- Building and maintaining connection
- Scene structure and dynamics
- Getting what you want - Matching techniques to objectives
- Physiology and psychology
- Pushing yourself and your bottom
- Recognizing "hard limits" vs. "soft limits"
- Helping your bottom receive stimulus and process play
- Managing the intensity of a scene
Because there's so much information to cover, this workshop will be all demos and lecture. There's no need to bring a practice partner, although this material is as valuable to bottoms as it is to tops. Bottoms - don't you want to know what your top is up to?
As with all of Max's workshops, a handout will be provided to facilitate your learning and retention.
This workshop assumes no previous experience and is appropriate for all genders, all orientations, and for both tops and bottoms.
When Things Go Wrong - What To Do and What To Learn
Saturday September 4th, 2010
3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
at Paradise 2010 in Redmond, Washington
Things can - and do - go wrong in a BDSM scene. Sometimes it's a small thing. Sometimes it's more substantial. Either way, your level of preparedness makes all the difference between a little bump and a scene-ender - or worse.
Ideally, these events can be opportunities for learning and growth. We'll talk specifically about three key elements of your response:
- Dealing with the situation
- Learning for next time
- Retaining and rebuilding trust
Since prevention is even better than reaction, we'll also discuss how to make your scenes more resilient and less likely to go wrong.
We'll touch on a broad range of events related to equipment, technique, negotiation, planning, environmental problems, emotional responses, and injuries. While there will be some slight emphasis on bondage-related events, most of the discussion is applicable to any type of BDSM play, and non-bondage folks are encouraged to attend.
This workshop will be structured as a lecture, with some opportunities to share your own stories and observations. There's no need to have a practice partner or to bring rope or equipment. Do bring an enquiring mind, some good questions, and your favorite stories.
As usual, there'll be a handout to help you remember what was covered and to provide additional references.
This workshop assumes no previous bondage experience, and is appropriate for all genders and orientations.
