LOS ANGELES − The group gathers in darkness, faintly lit by the glow of electric candles.
Some fidget with their hands. Some dart their eyes to and from the corners of the room. Some wander around the space, unsure which red-cushioned seat to take. The chairs are placed in pairs that form a circle around carpets in the center.
No, it's not a cult gathering. Nor is it a seance − though, on a chilly October night, a passerby peeking through the window might wonder. It's a singles mixer, one that employs various touch-based techniques aimed at getting participants to learn more about themselves, chip away at their defenses and, maybe just maybe, fall in love along the way.
Allie Hoffman − the mastermind behind this experience, called The Feels − breaks the nervous buzz in the air with a declaration to the group: that modern dating is, indeed, broken.
"It feels so hard out there, and we're really believing that it's our fault," Hoffman says in a presentation kicking off the mixer. "I don't believe that's true. I think there's some macro-level forces that are affecting us, that are creating what we're in right now. And I'm here to unwind a lot of that."
