I love rope bondage for the intense, touching and often erotic connection that it can create —and I’m also obsessed with shibari as a craft. Based in Berlin, I teach regular study groups that foster skills and techniques to enhance safety and adaptability.

My teaching style is open and flexible. I feel strongly that the best shibari is a deeply personal to and with the person being tied. Shibari shouldn’t simply consist of copy/paste harnesses; instead, I encourage students to understand the why and how of rope, while fostering creativity and adaptation.

Shibari, and the classes I teach, are about exploring the beautiful symbiosis between rigging and being tied, and how these coexist and complement each other. Even in the most technique-focused classes, I bring my own experience with both rigging and bottoming for rope and center the invaluable experiences of my models. I aim to teach in an undogmatic way and welcome (and sometimes encourage) switching in my classes.

Outside the rope world, I am involved in Awareness work and kink in Berlin and am currently writing a master’s thesis on the subject.

You can find me at @ztellaropes on Instagram or @Ztella on FetLife.