Purpose
The full fusion of AR and CI: a moving contact duet in which partners maintain eye contact throughout. Radically deepens presence and trust, and reveals how much dancers hide by looking away. Advanced relational exposure.
Setup
Experienced-enough pairs, warm. Space. Do only once eye-gazing (R2) and basic duets (#12) are comfortable.
Play
- "Begin a slow contact duet — one point of contact, rolling — and keep meeting each other's eyes as much as you can."
- "When the dance pulls your gaze away, that's fine — keep returning to the eyes."
- "Notice: the dance is now happening in two channels at once — skin and gaze. Let them inform each other."
Cues
"Two channels: skin and eyes." · "Return to the gaze." · "Let yourself be seen while you move."
Variations
- Easier: gaze during still/slow moments only; release it when moving.
- Deeper: sustain gaze through weight-sharing and level changes.
Debrief
"How did keeping eye contact change the dance? What became harder to hide?"
Watch For
High intimacy — this one can get charged fast. Reassert consent norms first (Chapter 4); make releasing the gaze always okay; keep it optional. Not for a brand-new or wary group.
Pairs With
A deepening layer over Rolling Point Duets (#12) and Give and Take (#14).