Sappho

Sappho is a rope model, teacher and performer in the Pacific Northwest. She co-directs the activities of Portland Shibari Salon with the rope artist Jonathan Ryan of Seattle Shibari, and the two co-teach workshops in Portland and small-group classes in Seattle.

Background and approach

The salon’s about page describes her as a devoted lover of rope who approaches kinbaku with sensual curiosity and draws on Latin dance and a dancer’s physical awareness of movement. It also presents her as a physician specializing in neuroanatomy, and workshop listings say she combines a methodical analysis of movement with that knowledge of the body in her rope bottoming, which she enjoys teaching. The page states her belief in the deep wisdom of the body and credits her with insight into both the physical and the psychological side of rope.

Teaching

According to the salon, she and Ryan have taught and performed together in Asia, Europe and the Americas. In Portland they co-teach workshops at the salon. In August 2025 they taught Semenawa Expressions, a sold-out day on the principles of semenawa (tormenting rope) using a stemless gote and semenawa leg ties, moving from floor work to partial and full suspension on bamboo, for pairs with advanced suspension experience; Sappho brought the perspective of the person being tied. Another sold-out class, on ippon-nawa (single-rope play), covered improvisation, fluid movement with a partner and minimal setups shaped by positioning. Both listings include consent, anatomy and risk management. In the Seattle area the pair teach three-hour introductory workshops, Shibari 101: Rope Bondage for Every Body, at a studio in Tukwila.

Performance

Seattle Shibari’s performance page says Ryan most often performs with Sappho, his partner in rope and on stage, and lists a 2025 performance with her at Beats & Binds in Portland, an evening event combining shibari with music.