VoxBody Studio
A woman-owned Oakland studio opened in 2017 and devoted entirely to rope, running an in-house curriculum (Fundamentals, Progressions, Onward) that leads from beginner level toward suspension.
VoxBody Studio is a venue in Oakland given over entirely to rope. Its history page says it opened in spring 2017, ran for about three years until COVID-19 closed it in March 2020, kept going online for roughly 20 months, and reopened in February 2022 in a larger Oakland space. The name is explained as “the voice of the body”, and the studio calls itself a safer, sex-positive place for rope and kink education, art and community. It was founded by Blue, who according to the studio has taught and performed rope since 2012. A 2019 PULP Magazine profile traces the studio back to a women-tying-women series she ran earlier, which drew a large femme, queer, nonbinary and trans audience.
Core curriculum. The in-house program is not tied to any single lineage and runs as four monthly series, each on a set Thursday of the month and booked per tying pair (the Progressions page notes different dates in November and December 2026 because of holidays):
- Fundamentals (101): partnered ties and exercises, rotating through four months of content.
- Progressions (201): patterns, full-body ties and floor work before suspension.
- Ascent: a five- to six-class suspension series offered twice a year, taken in full and in order.
- Onward: rotating topics for pairs who already have suspension experience.
The studio says the whole path takes about 14 months, and each level keeps a scholarship place for students facing financial barriers. Teachers named on the curriculum page include Blue, Ivy Limieux and Moxie.
Ways in and jams. Newcomers are pointed to a monthly Beginners Jam (a short lesson followed by open tying, bookable solo) or to an online beginners class with Blue. The calendar also lists several recurring rope jams, among them House of Braids for people of color, a T4T jam for trans attendees and a self-tie jam series with Shay Tiziano. As of November 2026 the calendar lists classes by Lief Bound and Icky: an intermediate class on 11 November and a tengu harness class on 15 December 2026, and a hashira suspension day on 16 January 2027. Community groups such as the Bay Area Rope Club also meet at the studio.
Beyond rope classes. Yoga, life drawing, discussion groups, lab time, performance nights and occasional non-rope kink classes are part of the program.
Access and policies. Events are 18+ with ID checked at the door. The studio describes itself as wheelchair accessible at street level with an accessible bathroom, and its policies ban unsolicited photos and, outside announced exceptions, any recording.