Madrid

The Madrid scene

Madrid’s rope history is recorded mainly in the programs of its schools and groups. One early record is a weekend workshop in August 2011, when the Berlin choreographer Dasniya Sommer taught shibari technique in Madrid. Her flyer promised to compare the approaches of Osada Steve and Arisue Gō with her own research into improvising with rope, and the class was taught in English with Spanish translation. How Japanese rope spread through Europe in those years is told in Kinbaku in Europe.

A traditional school

Today the city’s main dedicated school is Madrid Shibari Dojo, which describes itself as a traditional shibari and kinbaku school for Madrid and Spain that aims to teach with respect for the art’s origins. It states that it is part of the Kinbaku Society of Berlin and distributes that society’s magazine, published every three months. Its courses are graded by level, from introductory weekends for couples to semi-suspension and a creative course under the name Kuzushi Ryu, and it adds weekday practice sessions, private lessons and a Kinbaku Salon.

Community collectives

Much of the rest of the scene is run by community groups. Madrid Ropes, an association based in Carabanchel, teaches and promotes shibari through rope jams, multi-session workshops on topics such as semenawa and self-suspension, performances and a supervised training group for a limited number of students with entry requirements. Its channel lists guest teachers from Barcelona and organizers such as aanecroo. The group also brings rope to a much larger public: at Japan Weekend Madrid, a convention held at IFEMA, it runs free beginner workshops and shibari performances on the adults-only stage.

Honne Dojo announced itself as a new space with a logo meant to stand for inclusivity and respect, a place where people can be themselves without social pressure or shame. Its open jams invite people to tie, be tied, watch, draw or simply be there, alone, as a pair or in a group. Its workshops have included a semenawa workshop designed especially for LGBTQIA+ people, a rope dominance workshop for women and dissident dominant people, and a jam with bamboo.

What the city offers now

A newcomer in Madrid can choose between a graded school curriculum, collective-run jams and workshops, inclusive spaces with targeted workshops, and free taster sessions at a large pop-culture convention. The schools’ and groups’ websites and announcements are in Spanish. For a first step, see Ways into shibari.