Application Process

At Bondage Soup, we believe in providing a fair and equal opportunity for all applicants, regardless of background or experience level. Our application process is designed to ensure a thorough, transparent, and community-oriented selection. Here’s a step-by-step overview of how to apply and what to expect:

Eligibility and Application Requirements:

• Tying Pairs Requirement: BoSo is a program specifically designed for tying pairs. Both individuals in the pair, top and bottom, must complete and submit their own separate applications. However, to be considered, you must be part of a committed tying partnership that is dedicated to the full year-long program. We highly encourage tying pairs with a variety of experiences, body types, and backgrounds to apply, as our curriculum is adaptable to many different needs.

• Reading Requirement: Before applying, all applicants are required to read this Bondage Soup Recipe Book in its entirety. Understanding the program’s mission, values, and learning philosophy is critical for ensuring that applicants are fully aligned with the structure and goals of the course.

• Application Availability: The application form becomes available on October 1st each year. The submission period remains open until the maximum of forty (40) tying pairs have applied or until October 31st, whichever comes first. Once this limit is reached, we will no longer accept applications to ensure a fair and manageable consideration process. Early application is highly encouraged, as spots are limited.

• Alumni Applications: We value the dedication of our program alumni who have successfully completed BoSo as bottoms and welcome them to return to the program as tops. To maintain fairness, alumni are subject to additional application requirements, allowing us to ensure equitable opportunities. A maximum of four (4) alumni tying pair applications will be accepted each year.

Community Engagement and Program Exploration: Throughout the application period in October, we strongly encourage potential applicants to engage with BoSo graduates, particularly instructors and GAs. This is an opportunity to ask questions, gain deeper insights into the program, and build connections within the BoSo community. Familiarizing yourself with our graduates and their experiences will also give you a better understanding of the expectations and commitment required. It will also be advantageous to speak about the interactions that you have had, in your interview.

Interview Process: Once the application window closes, the interview process begins in late October and continues throughout November. Applicants will be contacted to arrange an interview. Our interviewers are experienced individuals who have successfully completed the Bondage Soup program and are familiar with the learning environment and cohort dynamics.

Interview Format: Interviews may be conducted via telephone, video chat (e.g., Zoom or FaceTime), or in-person, depending on the preferences and comfort of both the applicant and the interviewer. Interviewers will not include any alumni currently applying to join the cohort, ensuring impartiality.

Interview Content: During the interview, you will have an opportunity to:

• Review and clarify your application responses.

• Discuss your motivations and expectations for the program.

• Demonstrate your understanding of the Bondage Soup Recipe Book.

• Reflect on your interactions with BoSo graduates, instructors, and GAs.

• Ask any questions you may have about the program, time commitment, or the cohort experience.

This is a two-way conversation designed to ensure both BoSo and the applicant are a good fit for one another.

Selection Process: After interviews have concluded, a Selection Meeting takes place in early December. This meeting is a collaborative discussion between alumni interviewers and other graduates of the BoSo program. Interviewers will provide insights and observations about the applicants, and the group will discuss the potential contributions and dynamics each applicant could bring to the cohort.

Final Selection: A total of ten (10) tying pairs will be selected to join the January through December cohort. The selection process aims to create a diverse and balanced group, ensuring a wide range of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives within the cohort.

Notification: All applicants will be notified of the selection outcome by mid-December. Successful applicants will receive detailed instructions on how to prepare for the upcoming year, including logistical information and expectations for the first intensive session in January.

Fairness and Equal Opportunity: We are deeply committed to fostering a fair and inclusive selection process. Our goal is to create a diverse and vibrant community, where applicants of all genders, sexual identities, body types, and experience levels feel welcome and supported. Each application is evaluated holistically, considering not only the time commitment for the overall program but also their commitment to BoSo’s values of consent, communication, and community engagement.

We encourage open communication throughout the process. If you have any concerns or require accommodations, please feel free to reach out to a BoSo graduate prior to your interview. We strive to be as accommodating as possible within the limitations of our community-run, volunteer-based structure.

The Bondage Soup application process is not only a way to join a cohort but also an opportunity to immerse yourself in a growing and vibrant rope community. We encourage you to approach the process with openness and curiosity, ready to engage with others and deepen your understanding of rope. The BoSo experience is intense, rewarding, and ultimately community-driven, and we look forward to seeing how you might contribute to our collective journey.

Summary of Key Dates:

• October 1st: Applications Open.

• October 31st: Applications Close (or when application capacity is reached).

• Late October - November: Interview Period.

• Early December: Selection Meeting.

• Mid-December: Applicants Notified of Results.

• January: Program Begins.

What To Expect - The Intensives

At Bondage Soup, we believe the most effective way to foster both skill development and community is through an intense, immersive experience. BoSo's founder, instructors, GAs, and alumni adapt and refine the curriculum based on discoveries made since the program’s inception in 2018, feedback from nearly 150 graduates, and insights gained from experts outside of the BoSo community.

Our intensives are designed to help tying pairs build a strong foundation in both technical and interpersonal skills. Each monthly intensive is a six-hour, hands-on learning experience that focuses on a progressive curriculum, reinforcing skills learned in previous sessions. Students who dedicate a minimum of 4+ hours per week to practice between sessions tend to thrive in the program.

Monthly Intensive Structure:

Session Timing and Schedule: Intensives are held monthly, typically on the first or second Sunday. The sessions last 6 hours and focus on teaching both hard skills (e.g., specific ties and patterns) and soft skills (e.g., communication, consent, negotiation).

First Intensive (January): The first session sets the tone for the year. We will:

• Review the Bondage Soup Recipe Book.

• Discuss cohort expectations, policies, and procedures.

• Teach foundational concepts like consent and negotiation, risk assessment, selecting what kind of rope is appropriate, and creating a rope bag.

• Learn several stable, non-collapsing single column ties, the foundation for many future patterns.

February to November Structure: Each intensive will follow a structured format:

• Proficiency Test: At the start of each intensive, tying pairs must demonstrate proficiency of the pattern or tie learned in the previous month. Feedback is given to help improve skills. Each participant will be required to complete at least one proficiency test solo in front of the entire cohort during the year to simulate tying under pressure.

• Instruction: The instructor will teach a new pattern or tie through demonstration and verbal explanation, followed by a tie-along where students practice the technique.

• Untie/Retie Practice: After the initial tie-along, students will practice tying, untying, and retying to build muscle memory. This repetition is a core component of the program.

• Community Potluck: Midway through each intensive, we take a 60-minute break to share a potluck meal. Sharing food fosters camaraderie and deeper connections within the cohort.

• Additional Instruction: After the break, we teach one or two more patterns using the same method, concluding with a discussion of expectations for the next session.

Graduation Intensive (December): The final session is dedicated to each tying pair presenting a 10-minute rope-focused performance to the cohort and BoSo alumni. This performance serves as the culmination of the skills and experiences you have developed throughout the year.

What Is Expected – As a Student

Commitment to Attendance and Practice: Attendance at every intensive and consistent practice between sessions is crucial for success. The curriculum builds progressively, with each intensive laying the foundation for the next. Regular practice outside of intensives ensures you are prepared for the next session and able to demonstrate growth. Failure to practice will impact not only your progress but also the progress of your tying partner.

Unexpected Circumstances: We understand that life happens. Every situation is different and exceptions may be made by the instructors. If you must miss a session, there are guidelines in place to help you manage:

• Bottom Unable to Attend an Intensive: The top may request to tie with a GA or BoSo graduate. If unavailable, the top may bring another bottom, approved by an instructor or GA.

• Top Unable to Attend an Intensive: The bottom may either audit the session or request a GA or BoSo graduate to tie them for the session’s curriculum. To succeed in BoSo, you are expected to actively utilize the resources available to you, including the Discord community, your fellow cohort members, instructors, GAs, and graduates. If you miss any part of the curriculum, it is your responsibility to seek out the information, ask questions, and leverage these resources to get up to speed. BoSo is a community-driven learning experience, and collaboration with your peers and mentors will be crucial in ensuring you do not fall behind.

• Tying Pair Splits: If a tying pair can no longer continue as partners, both members will generally be asked to leave the program. Exceptions may be made under rare circumstances.

Coachable Learning Attitude: Success in BoSo requires a coachable mindset, which means being open to feedback, adaptable, and willing to learn from mistakes. People with a coachable spirit approach each day as an opportunity for a new learning experience. They know that success has less to do with possessing natural talent, and more to do with choosing to learn from those offering their experience and skills. It requires humility, being open to instruction, and trusting those sharing knowledge. They approach intensives with a beginner's mind no matter how much experience they have, and demonstrate willingness to take feedback, even if it challenges their ego. Rope is inherently risky, especially in suspension, and trust is paramount. Students are expected to tie the patterns as taught, until proficiency is demonstrated. The curriculum is designed to build the skills necessary to adapt the patterns to the person being tied. The how and why matter. 

Limits and Limitations: Honest self-knowledge is a key to growth. Understanding your limits and limitations can help you assess the areas you can improve on so that you can continue to learn and grow. Playing within your skill level is important when it comes to rope bondage: it reduces risk for everyone involved and allows you to play according to your strengths. Critical self-evaluation is important throughout one’s rope journey; it not only allows us to know when to engage in suspension under supervision or alone, or when one is ready to instruct others, but also enables us to evaluate our own rope tying or bottoming skills to determine improvements are needed to continue progressing.

Accountability: As a participant in BoSo, you become a representative of our community.  Members of the BoSo community are expected to model and demonstrate the values of the program discussed throughout this Recipe Book. We hold one another accountable for meeting expectations, practicing good negotiation and consent, and recognizing our own limits. 

As a member of the BoSo community, if you have concerns about other members’ behaviors, we encourage you to approach that person to discuss directly. However, if you do not feel comfortable doing so, or if you have done so and are not satisfied with the response, approaching a BoSo instructor, GA, or graduate is the appropriate next step. If conflicts are not resolved through discussion, decisions regarding accountability and community involvement are ultimately made by our founder Natalie Rose in consultation with senior Bondage Soup instructors, GAs, and graduates. 

What To Expect – From Instructors

Volunteer Instruction: All BoSo instructors and GAs volunteer their time and expertise. While the program is free financially, it requires your dedication, effort, and commitment in exchange. Instructors are there to guide you, but your success depends on your personal investment in learning.

Expertise and Support: Every instructor has completed the twelve-month program and continues to develop their skills through ongoing education. They will teach the curriculum while deferring to senior instructors when needed. While there is a distinction between instructors and GAs, the same behaviors are expected from, and the same standards applied to, all members of the instructional team. You can expect the instructional team to be knowledgeable, approachable, and committed to your growth.

Teaching Approach: Instructors provide verbal explanations and demonstrations of ties. Permission will always be asked before touching a student or their rope. Each tie is taught with the expectation that students will follow the method exactly until proficiency is demonstrated, after which personal adaptations are welcomed, provided they are informed and thought-out.

Post-Intensive Support: Outside of intensives, instructors and GAs are available at events, munches, and through the BoSo Discord for additional help, feedback, or practice. Many offer skill shares or practice sessions, and students are encouraged to take advantage of these resources.

Summary of Key Expectations:

• Commitment: Attend all intensives, practice regularly, and engage in self-driven learning.

• Coachable Attitude: Be open to feedback, practice with intention, and approach the program with humility.

• Respect and Accountability: Uphold Bondage Soup values, including consent and communication, and represent the community with integrity.

• Instructors as Resources: Instructors are here to support you, but your growth depends on your own effort and practice.

Feedback

Since our inception in 2018, Bondage Soup has continuously evolved through the invaluable feedback of cohort members and graduates. Your input is not just welcomed, it is integral to our ongoing efforts to refine and enhance the program.

We encourage you to share your concerns, suggestions, or thoughts openly. You can provide feedback by approaching an instructor or GA after intensives, sending a direct message via the BoSo Discord, or contacting us through social media. For those who prefer a more private or anonymous route, you may also provide feedback anonymously through https://www.BondageSoup.com via the Cohort Access tab. Our goal is to create an environment where you feel comfortable offering feedback, knowing it will be taken seriously.

While we aim to respond promptly to all feedback, we appreciate it when suggestions come with proposed solutions. Not every idea can be implemented, as some may conflict with the broader goals of the program. However, we will always acknowledge your concerns, and your input will be given thoughtful consideration. Even if an immediate solution is not apparent, we will work transparently and keep you informed about any decisions or changes resulting from your feedback.

Graduation

Graduation from Bondage Soup is a significant achievement, earned by fulfilling the expectations outlined throughout the program. To graduate, each cohort member must attend all twelve (12) intensives or pass all ten (10) proficiencies, and every tying pair must perform in the graduation performance.

Graduates receive a patch featuring the original Bondage Soup logo to celebrate their dedication and effort. It means you have laid the foundation for your rope journey. That you have a basic toolkit for successful rope scenes. It means you are part of a community that will support you, if you choose. It does not mean you know everything you need to know about rope. The patch symbolizes the foundational skills you have built, but it is important to remember that graduation marks the start of your rope journey, not its end. 

Post-Graduation

Graduates are encouraged to give back to the community and hold one another accountable. "Paying it forward" can take many forms, whether through continued education, supporting fellow graduates, or teaching newer participants. The expectation is that graduates represent the program well and continue to grow in their rope practice by learning from other artists, instructors, and experiences outside the program.

Upon graduation, you are invited to participate in the interview process for the next cohort, providing valuable insights into the selection of new participants. Graduates are also welcome to participate in Soup Kitchen, a continued education program that emphasizes peer-to-peer learning. The rope scene is constantly evolving, and Soup Kitchen offers graduates a space to stay current with the latest techniques, trends, and developments in the community.

Graduates in good standing are invited to serve as Graduate Assistants (GAs) for the following year's intensives. As a GA, you will provide feedback, answer questions, and support the new cohort. This role is an opportunity to further refine your rope skills, practice teaching, and continue your active participation in the BoSo community.

After a year as a GA, some graduates may progress to the role of instructor. New instructors typically begin by teaching simpler patterns, while also assisting with the evaluation of cohort members' proficiencies and helping guide GAs in their development. Instructors are responsible for teaching key elements of the curriculum, particularly risk-sensitive components like the gote and suspensions, which are reserved for senior instructors due to their complexity and potential safety risks.

Community Growth and Continuation

Since 2018, Bondage Soup has proudly witnessed the growth of its graduates, who have gone on to share, teach, perform, and present within the broader rope community. We are honored that many graduates return to contribute to our program, bringing their expanded knowledge and skills back to BoSo.

We are incredibly proud of the vibrant, supportive community we are building together. Your growth and contributions are integral to our collective success, and we look forward to continuing this journey with you.