Dominatrix 101

In Ms. Taurel's class the discipline's tough

Your education does not have to end at graduation. That is why I have signed up for a Learning Annex class taught by internationally known dominatrix Ava Taurel, whose blurb in the course catalogue asks, "Do you want to learn how to make big money in a safe, legal profession that will never leave you bored? Become a Dominatrix for Fun, Love or Profit.'' When Ava, dressed in a turquoise linen suit, brings the class to order, she is almost unrecognizable from her shiny, leathery promotional photo. "The class is for women only,'' she says, "but a man has begged me to let him speak with you for just a moment." A guy in a Hawaiian shirt steps forward. "I just want you to know that I'm available for whatever comes to mind so you can practice being better dominatrixes," he tells us, moving through the group, offering his business card to the 80 or so women in the class.

When he's done, Ava takes the floor. She starts with a free-form Q and A that reminds me I am not in comp lit anymore. Immediately, a cute blonde girl in her early 20s and wearing cutoffs raises her hand. She says she's just gotten her first job at a dungeon and wants to know if she should bring her own equipment. "It varies," Ava tells her. "Check to make sure they have good lockers."

Now our mistress is off and running on What It Takes to Be a Good Dominatrix. "A wicked imagination," she begins. (O.K. I have that.) "And you must be able to give a clear command with your eyes. Sometimes they are steel. Sometimes they are caring." (Still sounds doable.) "It's important to be good at improvisation." (Hey! I'm good at improv!) For example, Ava once had a man dress up like a maid and wear jingle bells on his testicles and then made him parade the halls of his apartment building. I raise my hand. I want to know what the best adhesive is for attaching the bells. But the woman sitting in front of me gets called on first. "I had the idea of making a man chew on a bone," she offers. "Very nice," says Ava, obviously impressed.

"It is important to develop your own uniqueness. I remember a man who I was into eating his own shit. I couldn't V work with him. / V would start throwing V up. But for a woman who could stand it, it was $300 for IS minutes." I am suddenly too faint to continue taking notes.

But now Ava wants us to meet "a big strong man from the navy SEALS" who has spent the last few years "chasing bad guys all over the world." He has worked with explosives and high-powered weapons, and he briefs us on his encounters with manly danger so that we can understand why he needs the release from stress that only wearing women's underwear can give him. Upon request, he drops his trousers to reveal white panty hose and a red garter belt. Ava now begins to arrange an assortment of ropes, whips, and dog accessories on a table. "I want us all to take turns using him for different things," she says.

A pretty blonde in tight jeans goes first. She wants to work on her whipping technique. "Aim at the broad part of the back," Ava advises. "You want to be careful not to damage the kidneys." Next, a plain-looking Latino woman in her 40s orders the navy SEAL to his knees. "Kiss my feet," she orders. "That's it. Now take off my shoes and smell them. Oh? You think that's funny? Then put my leg between your thighs and hump it like the dog you are. " And he does it! Well, it is school. But this guy must really be worried about his G.P.A. Now a woman in a skintight outfit puts the navy SEAL on a leash and leads him around. "The lady with him now is his wife," Ava tells us. I am stunned. I have four dogs and not one of them comes close in terms of leash technique. "That's it for tonight," says Ava, "except for those who would like to stay and work on knots. ' ' I figure I'll work on my knots in the morning. On the way to our cars, an executive-looking black woman does a postgame wrap-up. "I enjoyed it," she tells me. "It was either this or an antique lecture. And that was sold out."

MERRILL MARKOE