A dance is a kind of negotiation. The "decision about how things will be" is what move should be performed next. Success is achieved by both parties, or neither

A dance is a kind of negotiation. The "decision about how things will be" is what move should be performed next. Success is achieved by both parties, or neither - never just one or the other - and may even entail a "surrender" on the part of one of them. The entire point is that metaphors can emphasize different aspects. This metaphor emphasizes ideas like: -disagreements are not zero sum -coming to a consensus is more important than getting your way -we are ultimately all on the same side -be graceful - carefully choose your moment to assert yourself