Performance BDSM

[bridgeburner]

What are your thoughts on Performance BDSM? I've heard a couple of opposing views on the subject and wondered what the general consensus is among the Lit community.

Before I get into any of my own thoughts on the matter I'd like to see what pops up.


-B

 

[Quint]

Fascination, mostly. I love it on an aesthetic and fantasy level. But then, my experiences have been both limited and highly enjoyable, so I might not have the breadth to give a well-rounded perspective.

Whose POV are you intending the responses to be from: the audience's, the performer's, the theorist's, or the inexplicable other's?

 

[Netzach]

I have a limited experience with this as well.

I think it can be terrific ambassadorship and can create some new converts. I think it can be a delight if done visually well, and in a thought out way with some creative flair or interesting twist.

I've always appreciated and enjoyed public scenes with a sense of the theatrical. I don't really approach my public and private scenes the same way. If I wanted a hugely private space, I would play in private. When I play in public I seek the energy and response of onlookers, it's a nice thing, otherwise I'd just play at home.

 

[bridgeburner]

Whose POV are you intending the responses to be from: the audience's, the performer's, the theorist's, or the inexplicable other's?

Any and all.

I asked because I've recently come into contact with a Performance Dom and his sub but also attended a lecture which brought up Performance BDSM that kind of fired me up.


-B

 

[wetandslave]

What are your thoughts on Performance BDSM? I've heard a couple of opposing views on the subject and wondered what the general consensus is among the Lit community.

Before I get into any of my own thoughts on the matter I'd like to see what pops up.


-B

If someone and I are performing, we set up what we are gonna do and stick to the story line. This would be if we are doing a photo shoot.

It is kinda a acted out short plot, with improv.


From behind the camera, the photographer trys to get the people to know what and where they are headed.
Then imrov from there.


As a spectator I want to watch the plot and follow it.

 

[AngelicAssassin]

What are your thoughts on Performance BDSM?

Shibari? Definitely. i've read some things where a "rope master" actually does it as a performance.

 

[Netzach]

Indeed. I'm on a shibari listserv and I'm getting more and more interested in this kind of play. It's weird to listen to people who do extremely public, visually oriented, specatcular, and oft-photographed work insist that they never ever play to a camera, or consider the audience-- the whole world dissolves into a union or rope, nawashi, and jujun -- I don't know if I buy that entiely. I'd say that when you are embarking on an aesthetic journey with someone it's just another level of intensity and another consideration. Yes, your partner is your primary interest. Yet, for BOTH (or all 3 or 5) of you, one of your secondary interests is that product, or that connection with an audience, or making that tableau happen. Obviously not at the cost of life and limb -- but it has to be on your mind.

 

[bridgeburner]

Okay, let me preface this by saying that these are first and short encounters so I'm not going to name names and take the chance of misrepresenting someone.

I attended a lecture/interview where the subject is a local Dom who stages performances at area clubs with both his wife and others in the submissive/bottom role. That's initially how he came to the BDSM Lifestyle --- through performance art and the goth/body mod/neo-tribal scene.

The thing that most resonated with me was that he is very much aware of his obligation to the audience during a public performance. This is not to say that he isn't connected with or concerned with the submissive, but he is never unaware of the fact that first and foremost he and his partner are there to be observed and provide a live art performance.

This gels with my own ideas about performance and from other things that he said I liked his and his wife's take on the idea of BDSM. They're far more fluid in their ideas than a lot of Lifestylers seem to be.

So, I was all excited about it and started a dialogue with him and his wife and intend to pursue a rather informal course of study through brain-picking with them.

Now, fast forward two weeks to another lecture, this one given by a long-time area lifestyler who hosts a series of "newbie" oriented seminars at a local BDSM club. (Same club where I heard the first lecture)

So, her topic of the day is how to start a scene or when a scene starts or some such thing and mostly there's not a whole lot of content but she got very adamant on the subject of performance. Granted, I don't think she specifically meant anything against the Performance Dom from the earlier lecture, but I may just be giving her too much benefit of the doubt.

Anyway, she started talking about how if you're scening in public and you're playing to the audience then you'll look like a poseur and everyone will think you're a jerk. That makes a certain amount of sense....sort of, but she went on and it sounded to me as if she felt that if you're even aware of the audience then you're dis-serving your partner and the scene itself.


Now, some of this may just be a difference of focus or maybe it's just a thing that's personal to this one woman (which I'm beginning to suspect from all the terribly reasonable responses here so far), but I'm brought back to the whole reason for public play.

As I see it -- and please correct me if I'm wrong --- there are only three reasons to play publicly:

1 - Because it's safer when first starting out
2 - Because it might be useful as humiliation play for the sub
3 - Because you want the audience

Now in the first two cases the audience is kind of incidental. Your play/scene is not about them. In the third case, however, how can you NOT be thinking about the audience? The audience is part of your scene and to dismiss them or ignore them or not give them focus and consideration is counterproductive.

Maybe I'm just skewed on this because I come from a performance background so I grok what this guy was talking about and dismiss the second lecturer as uninformed/inexperienced because she's only been watched but never been an actual performer.

-B

 

[bridgeburner]

Netzach,

Ha! Oddly enough the second lecture this weekend was on rope bondage. The presenter didn't talk all that much about public play except to say that rope bondage is one of those things that most people stop and watch then wander away and then come back to see the progression. He did mention that there are people who will sit and watch the entire procedure --- presumably because they're more into rope fetish than those who are just waiting for the end result. His only seeming concern with the audience is that he end up with a functional and aesthetic end product without any "oops" moments --- rope burns, wild rope-ends putting out eyes --- but mostly his focus was on his partner.

He gave a great demo and it was obvious that he's very VERY into his ropes. He also showed us some chain bondage which makes the most amazing sounds.

-B

Indeed. I'm on a shibari listserv and I'm getting more and more interested in this kind of play. It's weird to listen to people who do extremely public, visually oriented, specatcular, and oft-photographed work insist that they never ever play to a camera, or consider the audience-- the whole world dissolves into a union or rope, nawashi, and jujun -- I don't know if I buy that entiely. I'd say that when you are embarking on an aesthetic journey with someone it's just another level of intensity and another consideration. Yes, your partner is your primary interest. Yet, for BOTH (or all 3 or 5) of you, one of your secondary interests is that product, or that connection with an audience, or making that tableau happen. Obviously not at the cost of life and limb -- but it has to be on your mind.