When
I started to lead my steps were unstable and without possibility to
adapt to the variations on the dance floor. I was often involved in
collisions and many times the guilt was on me, but not always. For some
reason more experienced dancers could get mad about me when finding the
space needed already occupied by me. I was maybe standing still or
moving in line but the guilt was still on me! I got feeling that these
people actually did not notice me dancing there and got angry at
physical obstacle of my body! I was supposed to apologize!
Then
one day there was a collision again but this time the other leader was
apologizing directly. From that day on this was happening more and more
often!
During
the years I learned to control my movements better, my partners were
experienced dancers with capability to change direction as fast as
needed and I was more seldom the cause of a collision. But I still do
mistakes and when I turn around the other one is apologizing!
Apologizing even if it is my fault!
It
seems to me that the guilt for collisions is not distributed only based
on the involved leaders actual actions, but other aspects are involved.
I think one of those is the skill level leaders around you can
recognize and accept. There is also some kind of respect you earn during
the years you have been developing on the pista. During the first
months other leaders are literally willing to walk over you, you are
invisible somehow, but later they are more willing to leave space around
you and there is less risk for collisions.
Onlookers
can vary the degree of guilt based on different facts. If an
experienced dancer is repeatedly doing same mistakes the guilt is more
severe on him than for others. The same if you have a high position in
the tango community.
