In 2016 we were again at Extasia, but this time only on Saturday and not on both days. The Extasia took place from December 2 to 12, Friday to Sunday. Star guest this time were Micaela Schäfer and also Lena Nitro was again part of the party.
The Extasia the year was unfortunately not quite as nice as in previous years. Previously, it was always in the ice hockey stadium, on thick rubber mats directly on the ice. That made for cold feet for several hours, but the location was bigger than this time in the exhibition hall. A lot of booths were accordingly no longer represented there and there also seemed to be fewer visitors than in previous years.
After we had already performed successfully at the Porny Days at the end of November, the greatest pressure had naturally already given way to a certain routine, so that we could concentrate more on the joy of the performance.
Yoko and I were nevertheless excited, because unlike the previous year, this time we had the time slot in the evening at 9 pm. Primetime, so to speak, and only our second joint performance, or rather the second joint choreography.
Also this year the stage held some surprises. As usual, there was a smaller structure on the stage, on which the red interview sofa stood. This structure provided a step that was about 50cm high… and exactly above this edge was the hanging point! Shocked, Jack the Rigger got to work and in cooperation with the organizer, a stage element was fitted with matching feet literally overnight from Thursday to Friday.
Without this we would not have been able to perform, because otherwise the people who were tied up would have had to work permanently with one leg over the abyss and the suspended models would have been lowered back down to the ground directly over the edge. Unfortunately, this was really not well prepared, which was also due to the fact that the organizer was not really clear what our performances would look like.
For the second time we had Elena with us to photograph our show. Her second assignment at the edge of the stage, surrounded by all the professional photographers (and those who think they are). At the beginning, the others were still magnanimous and let her have a comfortable place right in front with the hint that they would anyway photograph “rather other things” than what was to be expected from a bondage perfo. The performance went well, much better and looser than in 2015.
Back then, Yoko had to keep hissing to me in the middle of it, what comes next now, because I was so nervous that I somehow could not keep part of the flow right. But with the extra experience behind me, this time it really went with a lot of commitment and passion.
But as soon as Yoko and I got going, the generosity was quickly over and Elena had to keep the camera steady despite bumping elbows and pushing snaps. Well, it looks like we have met the taste of the majority. Well, that’s not surprising, Yoko is a gifted performer and you can always count on her to captivate the crowd.
In general, I found the experience completely different, standing on the big stage. It was satisfying and stimulating, not just a “sporting” challenge, but real shibari. The difference to the more intimate sessions in the Juku was of course there and clearly noticeable, but it was simply a shift in emphasis, not something qualitatively completely different.
In this respect we are looking forward to the next opportunity to show our Shibari to an interested group!
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