Fire-breathing dragon, an imaginary animal found only in folklore, has been offered as a partner to a living being, an elephant — generally known for its emotions, empathy and memory.
However, imaginary partnership is possible only in the dreamland. Dragons won’t come out of mythological books and folktales to satisfy the Chinese leadership’s avowed desire. What’s interesting is that Team Xi Jinping has evinced no interest in giant panda-jumbo or giant pandatiger tango, all real-life animals. Maybe, they are sure about the result of these types of tango. No doubt, China considers several landmasses as part of its dream and tango can’t be executed in air. Solid surface and an orchestra are a must.
Even if we presume that this Chinese desire for dragon-elephant tango somehow materialises, the question is who all will play the music, who all will sing and on which surface will this performance be executed. Also, who will lead the tango. In a traditional tango, roles and responsibilities of dancers are generally genderbased. So, how would this be fixed?
Respect for partner and close embrace are sine qua non in tango. Considering the equations between India and China, these positions look too far-fetched. Maybe, the two neighbours can look for a dance form where each has its own space on the same stage, without hindering the movement of the other, and where both have ample area of influence. But it’s easier said than done!
