Rope Manipulation’s methodology’s main focus and objective is to think through KNOTS instead of TRICKS.
To be able to explore rope creatively, I realised that what was necessary was for me to learn to speak rope’s language. So I deconstructed my practice and began to look into detail at rope’s primary constant: knots.
I started by searching on Google (literally) and found many definitions. But I found one that really fit and made sense to me. The mathematical one.
A knot, in mathematical terms, is a closed curve embedded in a three-dimensional Euclidean space.
In easier words, the simplest version of a knot is basically a CIRCLE, a LOOP, a SPACE WITHIN A SPACE, which ironically is actually defined as UNKNOT.
Knots, in rope terms, is what binds together the rope and the person on it. But visualising knots as confined spaces to explore, then knots are not only tight locks or wraps. They are rather spaces we can create and go through. They are endless opportunities for pathways.
According to this, I experience two types of knots:
The ones I create when two ends of a rope touch one another.
The negative space generated when two parts of my body are in contact with two ends of the rope.
Once I see knots this way, it all becomes a GAME OF GENERATING SPACES AND HOW TO DO THAT. For instance, it is about exploring ways to open and tighten loops, transferring them from a body part to another.
This process gives us the chance to get to know rope on a deeper level, at its roots, in opposition to learning pre-packed tricks. It is about understanding how it moves, behaves and its properties through our individual experience. By doing so we achieve a higher knowledge of it which allows to unlock more possibilities of movement and pathways.
Furthermore, it enables PRESENCE and improves ADAPTIVE SKILLS, encouraging to explore situations as they appear.
Rope Manipulation is the ability to skilfully handle the rope, to forge a connection with the apparatus and to produce own sequences and material.
Looking at it from the lens of KNOTS, the possibilities are countless.
It is a never ending game.
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