Class Descriptions

All Bodies In Play – BDSM and Disability

Description To Be Announced...

Art of Discipline/self-discipline

Every healthy D/s relationship exists within clear boundaries. This class will cover such critical elements for Dominants and submissives as: Constructing the crucible of your relationship, Knowing what you want, Understanding what you can offer, Making clear agreements/contracts. This class will also focus on critical D/s issues such as: control, punishments and the reinforcement of power dynamics. We will examine strategies to enforce rigorous discipline in relationships including unexpected discipline, whimsy, and dreaded tasks. We will also talk about expectations for those who have multiple relationships. Our goal is to have hot, satisfying D/s relationships that are calm and cohesive. Through self-discipline, submissives can have the opportunity to gain self-mastery and serve with grace. Using these Arts of Discipline, Dominants can be rewarded with consistent service and a solid base for recharging their power.

Art of Double Flogging

In the right hands Floggers are capable of producing lovely sensuous sensations and powerfully heavy impacts. The most graceful and powerful of flogging techniques involve the use of two floggers at the same time. Often called Florentine flogging, Double Flogging through its flare and rhythmic movements is capable of transforming the energy of a scene into something incredibly mesmerizing, cathartic and spiritual.

This class will explore the fun and power behind Double Flogging with scene demonstrations to illustrate different techniques, styles and approaches. Practice techniques will also help beginners develop their double flogging technique and help advanced Tops improve their own style of Double Flogging. The audience is encouraged to bring a set of floggers to the class.

Beyond Pricking

Blood-thirsty? Interested in exploring the edges of needle play? Are you curious about how it feels to push a needle through your own flesh? Ever thought what using or being punctured by a staple-gun would feel like? Come and discover beyond the basics of needle play. We'll discuss and demo a variety of needle gauges, different types of stapling mechanisms and combinations of crafty ouchy things you can do by yourself or with others! Not for the faint of heart or the easily offended. This workshop involves lots of sharp, metal items breaking skin. If you come through the door you will see pain, blood and maybe, if we're all lucky, an orgasm or three.

BDSM: Where To Begin

So you have decided to come to a leather event but aren't sure what to do now that you are here. Come and learn some tips for how to have a good time in the dungeon and over the weekend. The information in this workshop will be universal and applicable to all genders, orientations, and interests. BDSM can be mystifying in the beginning, let Lady Alycyn guide you through some basic concepts, techniques and practices. Pain, sexual pleasure, toys, clothing, power exchange, emotional and physical safety, self exploration, honesty and honor are some of the topics we will cover. This workshop will be interactive, participants are encouraged to ask questions and share their experience.

Beyond the Basics of Bootblacking

Description To Be Announced...

Blade Play

Blade Play is an extremely erotic form of play that is not only edgy and intense; it is also deeply sensual and spiritual. This form of play uses every aspect of a blade to create a variety of exotic sensations that can be found on the razor's edge. Unlike the other classes I have taught, this Blade Play class will highlight different types of bladed instruments such as knives, swords, hatchets, axes, etc... for those that already have knife play experience. We will also cover; Different types of knives, their specific use, and how to use them, Choosing what blade is best for you and your sub, Blade technique and control.

Blood Lust: A Hands-On Introduction to Blood Play

Giving up control of blood is a hot and scary form of submission. Taking a blood offering is an exquisite and passionate statement of power. Because of the potential danger, piercing and cutting have been seen as "fringe" or "heavy" play activities. They have the capability of producing intense mind-altering play, but are so primal, tapping into the cannibal in us, that they're terrifying to some. The physical sensations range from intense pain to calming release. Breaking the skin and drawing blood can generate feelings ranging from explosive power surges to being overwhelmed by the trust being placed in your hands. In this workshop we'll discuss: Motivations, Negotiation, Tools, Safety, Techniques, Scenes, and After Care. You will get the opportunity to practice on inanimate objects or with a partner, and optionally experience the sensation of needles, scalpels, and more.

Body and Mind Image in the SM Scene

Our past and personality will allow us to enjoy or sabotage that which is possible within our lifestyle. We will explore the principles of sadomasochistic self-worth and work to:

Encourage each other to be whole individuals with positive self-image. Be productive citizens within SM relationships, as we satisfy the needs of self and partner(s). Encourage and support other fetishists to explore desires within legal and mutually agreeable perimeters. Identify roadblocks to personal progress and de-stigmatize them if possible.

Sado masochists benefit from peer support, often not possible outside of scene situations. Join us in this non-judgmental solution oriented environment.

Bootblacking Basics

Boots are meant to be lived in, loved, used and abused. Now's your chance to learn to make those boots look great again. This class will cover different techniques for dealing with the two main types of leather boots are made of. So bring those nasty boots and learn to shine. Whether it's for your leather or as service for someone special, take care of your investment and look your best.

Brutal Affection: Punching, Kicking, Slapping and Sex

It ain't about the brawn. Regardless of your size, gender, or physical ability, this highly interactive workshop uses scads of demonstrations to teach you fierce, passionate methods of slam, slap and thud. Learn to use your brain and a multitude of body parts to bring you and your partners to new found levels of physical, sensual, sexual intensity and intimacy. With humor, affection, straight talk, and smarts, Felice Shays will discuss and demonstrate technique, safety, partnered positions, head space, anatomy, and helpful items. Also, as time allows, Felice will work with individuals, dyads and other combinations of partners to resolve their dilemmas of inequity of size, status, attitude or muscle. Open to all genders, all physical abilities, and all levels of experience.

Consent Counts- Reporting on the Public Process for the Consent Counts Project

Last year at LLC and Creating Change, a discussion began about decriminalizing BDSM. Since then, there has been a grass roots project going on asking our community to help define what consent means to us. Consent Counts gathered inputs from around the country on legal issues and community concerns for the leather communities. The information has been compiled into a report and will be used as a basis of future national and local work to decriminalize BSDM. Come find out what we found and be part of a facilitated discussion on the next steps. This is a discussion to take back to your own community that will help identify laws that can be used against our events, what has worked as a process to gather community inputs and to continue the discussion about adult consensual behavior.

Create A Class

Is there a class that you wish had been offered this weekend? Do you want to meet with others who are interested in the same thing as you? Do you want to talk about aging? Public sex? Long distance relationships? Something else? This year IMsL is offering you a chance to CREATE YOUR OWN CLASS. Several class times have been reserved just for this. Class proposals should be submitted to Evan, our Education Coordinator, by 12pm noon on Saturday and she will post information about the Create A Class sessions selected down in the lower lobby.

Creative Pain for Pleasure- A Sadist's Toolbox

Embrace your inner sadist! Here is a class about all of the delightful ways to inflict pain. We'll discuss not only toys and techniques, but how to incorporate pain into a scene, how to use it creatively, how to love yourself the next day after being a heartless sadist the night before, and of course safety issues. Bring your favorite pain-inducing toys and I'll bring mine.

Emotional First Aid In The Scene

Loss of emotional balance or "freaking out" due to sensory or emotional overload may be one of the most common SM emergencies in the scene. Following basic safety procedures and playing at appropriate skill levels will go a long ways towards preventing this response. However, even with the best of negotiation, sometimes SM play unexpectedly touches an emotional hot spot. Repressed memories get triggered; phobias get set off, etc. We're attracted to SM's intensity but at times, it's that very intensity that proves too much for the mind and/or body at one time.

The Erotic Impact of Spanking

Some of us get spanked just because it feels good. It feels very good! Do it the right way and it can give you and your partner much pleasure. The goal is not to hurt your partner but rather to give her an erotic and sensual experience. For others it is about punishment. Or it can be a rite of passage. Or maybe fantasy/role play. This workshop will emphasize psychological aspects as well as techniques.

Essentials of Dominance and submission

BDSM...what is that part in the middle? Be a submissive? Dominance and submission takes the erotic exchange of power and moves it from the physical to realms that are emotional, spiritual and intellectual. Submissives are frequently told, "I just don't understand why you do what you do". This basic introduction to D/s will explore the art of Dominance and the nuance of submission. We will examine the myths and realities of Dominance and submission. And we will look in depth at the hearts and minds of Dominants and submissives.

Eyes Wide Shut: Serious Issues We Ignore In Our Community

With the Internet came new possibilities for kinksters to learn about BDSM and how to connect with the leather community. While this relatively easy passage into the community is comforting to many, there's a dark side as well. We may be ignoring the old-fashioned leather value of evaluating "Character" before admitting newbies to our groups. In trying to honor everyone's Kink and Individuality, we're often at a loss as how to deal with the effects of untreated mental illness, predatory/abusive behavior, addiction and other serious issues in our community. Ms Twisted, a Licensed Professional Counselor, will talk about ways to identify and to confront these destructive behaviors in our community so that we may maintain safe and sane leather space for all. This will be a controversial workshop!

Femme to Femme: Exchanging Power, Shifting Paradigms

The leather community came to age celebrating all that is masculine. Our icons and sex symbols were created in the image of Tom of Finland. M/s and D/s relationships are based on the erotic exchange of power. Is all power the same? Do masculine people claim, exert and exchange power the same as feminine people. We assert not. Join us as we examine the concept of Feminine Power, how it is different than Masculine Power and not at all related to gender identity or biology.

Finding and Loving the Slave Within

An open discussion on just exactly what being a slave means to each of us personally. Slave Tina will talk honestly about her own struggles and growth process and share how she came to love herself for the slave soul that she is. The goal of this class is exploring personal beliefs and perceptions and how they influence how we feel about ourselves as slaves, submissives and people in general. Things we will explore: How being a slave may not feel "natural" at first, even when it is something we deeply desire. How does culture effect our perceptions about consensual slavery? What does the "perfect image" of a slave look like inside our head? How does our personality "fit" or "not fit" with this image? Defining and incorporating the "real" us with the vision we have for our slave self. Accepting and embracing the "complete slave." Asking for what we need as a slave. Identifying realistic expectations within a Master/slave dynamic.

Fisting for Perverts

Ok. So maybe you know how to fist someone. Or maybe you can't quite get enough of your cunt being filled by a solid mass of hand. But what happens next? Where and what is the 601 of fisting? Welcome to Fisting For Perverts. As Felice sees it, you are (or wanna be) a pervert, otherwise you wouldn't be reading this. In this workshop Felice will begin by discussing some anatomy basics, teaching a few exercises to strengthen and make the vagina more flexible, and making sure that we all agree about how we insert our hands with ease, smarts, and dexterity. Next we will amp up the fisting volume and discuss and demonstrate how the big kids play – double fisting, fisting in suspension, fisting front and back doors simultaneously... and much more. All genders and levels of experience are welcome.

FULL POWER BOTTOMING: Skills and Techniques for Bottoms & Subs

Would you like to be a fabulous bottom? Is it really true that bottoms don't need (or have) any skills to offer? Our experience has led us to discover that bottoming is as much of an art as topping. Come learn specific skills and techniques to become a better bottom: how to ask for what you want, initiate a connection, negotiation from the bottom's perspective, communicate in role. We will look at how to be a submissive or non-submissive bottom, specific physical and mental in-scene techniques, and aftercare for yourself and your top(s). You'll get a chance to explore and practice some of these skills, and take the first steps toward inventing your own personal style of communicating and playing as a bottom. For this class, "bottom" refers to anyone who bottoms or subs in SM play, including switches and tops. Non-bottoms are encouraged to attend as well, and learn what skills their wonderful bottoms have, and what they can learn from them.

Greedy Pig vs. The Green Eyed Monster

Jealousy can destroy a poly relationship. Feelings of insecurity and fear of abandonment lead to toxic behaviors which in turn make relationships less intimate. We'll look at strategies to discern what's real and what's perceived. And we'll examine techniques that help combat jealousy with the security of love, structure and trust.

How to Eat a Peach

Discover new skills that will rock her world! Learn the arts of giving and receiving pussy pleasure. Packed with secrets, tips and tricks on how to give the most blissful sensations with your loving mouth and dexterous digits, this class uses delicious practice props (think fruit!) so that everyone will go home with skills to use that very night. Be prepared for fun, funny and sexy demos.

International Ms Bootblack Contest: 10th Anniversary Panel

It's always an enlightening experience when you get two or more bootblacks together. Techniques, products, and tools of the trade are discussed, their merits weighed, and, if kits are handy, put to use. It's always a trip down memory lane when you get two or more titleholders together, especially when they have held the same title. Title year's stories, experiences, both good and bad, lessons learned, and memories are traded back and forth in rapid succession. What happens when you put these two things together? No clue. The 10th Anniversary Panel will put together as many IMsBBs as possible and take that trip down memory lane to see what happens. Come and experience it!

Issues of Gender In The Leather Community

Considering all of the many different experiences and expressions we each have of our gender, what does it mean to be a part of women's leather communities, anyway? Our answers are widely varied and exquisitely unique! This panel presentation will offer a look at some of the different self-identities of individuals who find a home in women's leather communities and will examine the ways in which this internal diversity enriches and empowers us all. Panel members will be sharing their personal stories and perspectives as well as their struggles. We will talk about who gets to play in ‘women's space', why and to whom that matters and other current issues in the leather communities about gender, identity and inclusion. Come join this community conversation!

Lapdancing 101

If you have ever thought that *only* femmes, or thin women, or (insert stereotype here) can give lapdances. If you have ever wanted to learn how to dance for your lover. If you have ever wanted to receive a lapdance. Or give one. Or both. If you have ever wondered exactly how, when, where or why to give a lapdance. You will learn all this and MORE at LAPDANCING 101 with Peggy Sue. This is your chance to learn the basics of lapdance movement, music, costumes and props, and most of all, about attitude. We'll even have live demonstrations and different opportunities for everyone to participate. (Please note: this is a safe workshop space. This means that nobody will be required to participate, limits will be respected, and every effort will be made to respect individual comfort levels.)

Lust"er" Up Your Shine

This class shows us how whether you are a top or a bottom you can have fun doing leather and boots. I will show how a bottom can do their tops boots and leathers and how a top can turn doing leather and boots into something sadistic and/or erotic. In the end, everyone has fun and you keep your leather and boots looking good.

Master/slave

Description To Be Announced...

Mummification

The historical look at the art of mummification and how it is used in SM Play today. We will discuss and show the different methods use of various materials to confine and restrict a persons movements as well as what enhancing the scene by incorporating additional play into the scene. The discussion will also cover safety concerns and methods for quick release should something happen during the scene.

MYTHBUSTERS: Titleholders Tell All

What's it REALLY like to be a titleholder? Did your pet seriously forget who you were? Do you actually get laid whenever you want? We'll spend this class session debunking the myths and sharing stories about the realities of being a title holder on the Leather Circuit. Open to anyone who is interested in hearing from a panel of unique individuals who had an incredibly wide range of experiences during their title years- locally, nationally and internationally.

No-Drama Role-Playing: A Choose-Your-Own Adventure Workshop

Have you ever been mesmerized by a role-playing scene (yours or someone else's) that creates such an illusion that you lose all sense of time and place? Do you want to incorporate role play into your BDSM scenes either in private, in public or both? Or maybe you are looking to push your boundaries around role playing, either into new area or a new dimension? In this workshop, we will explore ways to pump up your creative juices and give you ideas and practice to help you let go of stage fright so you can more easily move into your chosen roles. Get ready to explore your deepest desires and realize your fantasies as victims and villains, fairytale characters, film villains and beauties and, of course, beasts.

Rope

Description To Be Announced...

Rhythm Sticks

Description To Be Announced...

Singletail Dance

A dangerous tool? An erotic caress? Come and see how they blend into one magical flow of energy and fun. Learn the basics as well as many other, non standard ways of using this tool to form a scene or part of a scene. Find out how you might like to use your own whip. If you have one please bring it. No whips longer than 4 feet please.

Singletail Dance Part II- Beyond Snap, Crack and Pop

After you can hit your target, then what? Join other whip handlers in the second half of the singletail extensive. Share your skills, learn from others, experiment in the targeting areas. This class is what we make of it so bring your whips (short whips only please) and join us.

Str8Edge Play

Str8 edge blade classes are pretty much new to the kink scene. But the fetish has existed since Barbers were called "Tonsorials" and as far back as ancient Egypt. This instrument, called a "wek", has been used in Barber Chairs and is now being used in the scene to shave genitals, shape chests and backsides. Class attendees will be informed on how to use these types of blades – first with a simulation in our "Balloon and Shaving Crème Practorium", and then with a partner. To Master this very sinister art form (that will leave you wanting more) you will learn proper safety and sanitation, applications and precautions. Reminder: this class is not for the unbalanced or those who get too nervous...

Uniform Basic Training

Who doesn't like a uniform! Uniforms can provide a sense of power, a sign of loyalty, spit-and-polish, discipline and being squared away. Let's face it, they are damn hot! Yet, it can be intimidating and overwhelming to actually put a uniform together and feel good wearing it. We will discuss different types of uniforms; however the primary focus of this class will be on U.S. military and police uniforms, how to obtain them, how to wear them, what you can do in them. Reference materials will be provided with suggestions for sources and instructions for wearing.