Visiting Instructors at The Academy
On occasion we are presented with an opportunity to open our doors to some of the most delightful P/people in the industry. Whether T/they join us for individual sessions or to teach larger workshops, it has been an honor to work with each P/person featured on this page and we encourage you to support T/them whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Lady C
Yoga for Bondage - April 24th 2009
Zen Master - Power Kundalini Yoga for Tops - May 31st
Carmelle (Lady C) del Mare, encourages you in subtle ways to observe and refine both your physical and mental attitude in a playful and relaxing way.
As a Certified KRI Kundalini Yoga Instructor since 1990, she studied and trained directly with Yogi Bhajan in New Mexico. She has also been an Ashtanga Yoga practitioner for over 12 years. Carmelle has been a Licensed Medical Massage Therapist for 18 years, which has given her an advanced knowledge and deeper insight into the bodies many physical restrictions and needs.
As a lifestyle Sadomasochistic, she that feels that many forms of bondage, allows the mind and spirit to fly higher and freer. Yoga allows the body to flow through restriction and quiets the mind to allow the spirit to fly.
Don Sir
Shibari for Dummies - June 27th 2009
Don Sir has been active in the Southern California leather/bdsm scene for more than 14 years as a player, performer, educator and lifestyle dominant. He has held the title of Mr. Long Beach Leather 2007 and competed in Chicago for the title of International Mr. Leather in 2008. He has conducted BDSM themed classes in Hawaii and in Los Angeles at Lair de Sade, Threshold, Gay Pride LA, Gay Pride Long Beach, Dom Con LA, performed at various Bondage Balls and was featured in BDSM based movies such as The Joy of Sexual Submission, and John Stagliano’s The Fashionistas. He learned his rope skills from Two Knotty Boys, Midori, Jeff Kim, Charly B, David Lawrence, and Master K.
As a photographer, his work is featured on his website, www.donsirphotography.com, as well as in all three issues of Morphine Magazine, www.morphinemagazine.com. Don Sir is also a founding member of the Society of Monarchs, a hetero dominant male brotherhood group created to further the education and outreach and support amongst male heterosexual dominants in the BDSM arts and lifestyle.
Eric Charles
What a Photographer Wants Every Model to Know (and a few things he doesn't...) - July 12th, 2009 Eric Charles, a lapsed filmmaker, is an LA based photographer specializing in alternative and underground fashion and portraiture. Published in the US and Europe, he has created several iconic images that document the goth, fetish, and punk scenes. Most recently, he contributed to "Gothic: Dark Glamour" a book by fashion historian Valerie Steele in connection with the Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) in New York City, and was featured in - and on the cover of - London's "Erotic Review" magazine.
Jonathan Wilkins
Jonathan Wilkins is your friendly neighborhood mad scientist. He enjoys learning random skills and has difficulty looking at an object without reverse engineering it to see how it works, a trait that has served him well in his 13 years as a software engineer in the security sector. He runs the new blog FetishDIY (http://www.fetishdiy.com/).
Lamalani - International Ms Leather 2009
Lamalani hails from the Pacific Northwest and held the title of Washington State Ms Leather 2008 before winning International Ms Leather 2009. She has been active in the leather community since 1999 when she started teaching workshops through the women-owned sex toy store Babeland (formerly Toys in Babeland).
Professionally, Lamalani makes hemp bondage rope with Twisted Monk. Lamalani has presented at Desire Leatherwomen’s conference, Michigan Womyn’s Festival, Portland Bad Girls and offers private classes around the Puget Sound area. She is an enthusiastic practitioner of rope bondage, fire play and roughhousing. Lamalani has volunteered for a Seattle based anti-violence organization, Home Alive, since 2003. She is a self-defense instructor with Home Alive and describes the fighting style as "scrappy".
Submissive Missy
Feminization with Mistress Shae - May 30th 2009
Missy is a part-time male-to-female transgendered person and a lifestyle submissive with a deep love of fetish fashion and all things connected to the feminine spirit.
More than two decades ago Missy began exploring her own idea of gender in the solitude that so many do, and in which so many remain. One chilly February night in 2001, Missy finally gave in to the girl soul she had always felt stirring inside and attended her first BDSM and Transgender friendly club, taking her very first steps out her door into the wide frightening world. The sound and sensation of the click of her heels on the sidewalk was as intoxicating then as today, and Missy has been seen dancing, playing, performing, and enjoying the company of her friends at clubs and events in New York City, Atlanta, London, and of course our very own Hollywood ever since.
Missy is honored and excited to assist Mistress Shae in helping Academy pupils throw off the world's prescribed notions of gender, learn a few tips and tricks to build their confidence, and enjoy an afternoon and evening out as the graceful, lovely ladies they have always wanted to be.
Shelly Sin
Advanced Fire Play - July 2009
Shelly has been active in the local scene for the last 15 years. She entered the scene through the women's leather community about 15 years ago and has been active in all factions of the community since. Shelly is currently co-coordinator of RAWW (A local women's only Org.), is a board member of the Los Angeles Leather Coalition and produces an event for the Los Angeles Leather weekend. When time permits she participates in the human sexuality classes/panels for local colleges. For the last 10 years she has taught classes on a variety of topics for RAWW, OCLA, Passive Arts, DESIRE, BDSM Mentors, Dom Con, Lair De Sade, Exposed at LAL and has performed at Kinko De Mayo and The Bondage Balls. This lifestyle equals personal passion for her and she hopes that is what you will take away from her classes.
Ms. Stephanie Locke
Mummification - February 21st 2009
I am passionate about Mummification. I have spent hours at a time creating human mummies.
I have taught Mummification across America and I am always looking for a new challenge.
Mummies come in all types of wrappings: Saran Wrap, Duct tape, Elastoplast, Hyginet, Ace bandages, gauze and my personal favorite, plaster cast.