Elephants & buttterflies... sound & movement by Joana Cabral

A butterfly is a natural born dancer. She wanders about by herself and flies around the wonders and ugliness of the world. She is a distracted but keen observer… witnessing and compiling images, sounds and movements… Capturing stories in the form of sweet cotton fantasies, dreams and expectations, as well as warning memories and dreadful scaring threats… A butterfly keeps dancing despite all the risks she, by observation, became aware. What other purpose would her colorful wings serve? And if her wings had no purpose, what would then be the purpose of her own existence? This is why she dances even when scared and running from danger. She has all sorts of choreographies for her dances. She dances exuberantly to dazzle the world, capture attention in a generous effort to put a smile on others face. She dances gently caressing the ones she loves, graciously and near enough so that the movement of her wings produces a lullaby song. She dances at distance, surfacing from a protective distance, collecting evidences, recognizing others as possible partners for dance and play. The butterfly dances even when she’s frighten and fearing for the eternal dream of joyful and peaceful happiness. Why does she keep dancing in dangerous conditions? Well, her wings don’t allow any other movement but dance… it’s her communication tool. If motionless she shall die.

Butterflies are cautions, aware of their fragile condition, yet curious at the same time. They sometimes fly closer to others… teasing them to share… other times a butterfly doesn’t resist when another stares and calls her, intrigued by her colorful movements describing a silent enchanting song… ‘cause, you know, butterflies are giving and sharing creatures… the truth is that, tough shy, they secretly desire care and admiration. Butterflies have a special attraction for elephants… they look so gentle and caring when carefully observed… and so they grasp their curiosity… the butterfly wonders: “this creature looks so much bigger than me… we have so distinct physiognomies… yet he looks as peaceful and gracious.”. “Could I dance with you elephant?”, asks the butterfly, while joyfully flying around the elephant’s tail, before their eyes, around their strong and heavy feet. And the elephant, he finds the butterfly funny and sweet, he learns to enjoy her company. He sometimes very much wants to dance along with the butterfly. He feels clumsy yet delighted… he is not used to graceful and joyful movements… the elephant just walks majestically keeping his eyes, undistracted, on nothing more than possible menaces to himself and his kind. Elephants care for their own protection so tenaciously that they sometimes feel bored and lonely. But it’s a hard choice to make… "distraction (they think) may be paid at a too high price", possibly costing their safety… but too much caution condemns them to slavery and loneliness.

Funny… butterflies are so much fragile than elephants… yet so less cautions and concerned… the secret must be in the wings… the butterfly can fly away towards the sun if she wants and just disappear… but her strive will always be to try it all.

Should butterflies dance with elephants? Who’s in greater danger? Is it possible for them to synchronize their movements and dance around with no risk of injuries?