Class Teaches New York Singles Art of Flirting

NEW YORK — Get this: They’re offering a course that actually encourages New Yorkers to make eye contact with total strangers.

The School for Flirting opened in October, offering participants M.A.F. degrees (for Masters in the Art of Flirting). The class costs $140, and there’s a two-drink minimum--the school is in a comedy club.

Homework assignments will include getting at least three phone numbers, and the flirts will be graded at the end of the six monthly sessions.

The founding flirts are Robin Gorman Newman, author of “How to Meet a Mensch in New York,” and relationship therapist Susan Rabin, author of “How to Attract Anyone, Anytime, Anyplace; The Smart Guide to Flirting.”

Rabin said her mission is “to restore the art of flirting.”

About 100 people attended the orientation session, where comedians warmed up the crowd and Newman and Rabin organized games to encourage mingling.

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Lessons will include “Dating Etiquette in the ‘90s,” “What to Say After Hello,” “Silence Is Sexy” and “Romantic Rendezvous.”

The crowd ranged in age from mid-20s to late 40s and was equally divided between men and women.

One 37-year-old man, who gave only his first name, Leigh, said he has tried volunteer work, outdoor activities and joining various clubs for singles and still hasn’t found the right woman. He enjoyed the class but thought a lot of the flirting tips wouldn’t work in New York.

“It’s just too difficult a city to be casual in,” he said. “Everyone’s too guarded.”