I think the trainer or elephant handler is leading the animal. It does seem that the elephants have very fine muscle control with some sort of signals coming from the handler.
My cynicism extends to the point of even suspecting the sincerity of the cynics.
In addition apparently a housecat has written the musical score for every Fellini movie ever made...
"symptoms not uncommonly observed in captive elephants such as stereotypy (head-bobbing, pacing, repeated trunk weaving), infanticide, aggression, and self-mutilation as well as “dangerous behaviour”