Sept_13

Etcetera
One with Kathak
For veteran performer Shailla Aurora, dance is devotion, discovers Sai Prabha Kamath
The flawless chime of her ghungroo
challenges the rhythm of
the tabla. With crisp footwork,
immaculate bhava and breathtaking
pirouettes, she dances straight
into the hearts of the audience. As
a dramatic climax to her dazzling
repertoire, veteran Kathak dancer
Shailla Aurora executes a thrilling
40 spins at lightning speed, ending in
a statuesque pose. “Kathak is a beautiful
dance form where the dancer tells
a story through elegant gestures,”
says the sexagenarian. “The hallmark
of Kathak is its subtle nuances.
I find spiritual succour in its intricate
footwork and magical swirls.”
Trained under legendary Kathak
exponent Padmashri Roshan Kumari
of the Jaipur gharana, Aurora was the
first disciple from her class to perform
thumri at the age of 36. For the past
25 years, she has been training under
the guidance of Kathak exponent Guru
Ganesh Hiralal Hasal. “I am blessed to
have trained under such great gurus.
It is owing to their blessings and my
deep reverence for them that I perform
at this age. But the guru-sishya
parampara [the teacher-disciple
lineage, where there is an unwavering
faith in the guru] is on the wane
today and that is worrisome.”
Deeply spiritual, Aurora loves performing
on stuthi and shloka, Anand
DANCE
Tandav, Ganesh Paran and Kali Paran,
her favourite being the depiction
of Radha and Krishna’s dalliance.
Recently, the 65 year-old was felicitated
by Maharashtra’s minister for
cultural affairs Sanjay Deotale for
putting up a fabulous performance
at a Kathak fusion programme in
Mumbai. Ask her about contemporary
forms of dance and she says, “I am not
against them, but culture should not
take a backseat; the classical form of
Kathak should not lose its essence. We
need to have classical dance festivals;
in fact, we need to have a 24-hour
dedicated TV channel to popularise
the dance in its purest form.”
Her passion aside, life has not been
a bed of roses for the wife of reputed
hotelier Gulshan Aurora, her “pillar of
strength in all her endeavours”. For
22 years, the dancer suffered from
psoriasis, a skin disease that has
no medical treatment. “My whole
body had this itchy condition but
I never ever missed riyaaz [practice]
or thought of quitting dance,” she
says. “Also I was fortunate enough to
serve my 106 year-old mother till her
last breath; she passed away last year.
My mother’s blessings and dedication
to Kathak kept me going in those
testing times.”
Today, Aurora is completely cured
and has a message for the younger
generation. “Kathak is a creative form
of self-expression for all ages,” she
says. “I want young girls to learn it
and take our rich cultural heritage
forward.” Fortunately, her seven yearold
granddaughter Zaara is taking an
interest in the dance form, a source
of great joy for Aurora. “Tradition
needs to merge into timelessness,”
she concludes.
MASTER STROKE
ADVANTAGE HOLLYWOOD SOUNDS EXACTLY LIKE WHAT IT IS: A COMBINATION OF TWO VOCATIONS,
TENNIS AND CINEMA. A MOST APPROPRIATE TITLE FOR THE MEMOIRS OF FORMER TENNIS PLAYER
AND FILM PRODUCER ASHOK AMRITRAJ, ADVANTAGE HOLLYWOOD CHRONICLES HIS JOURNEY
FROM A TENNIS-FASCINATED CHILDHOOD TO BECOMING AN INTERNATIONAL PLAYER AND THEN
HIS SECOND CAREER WITH HOLLYWOOD. PUBLISHER HARPERCOLLINS INDIA EXPECTS SCORES
OF INDIAN READERS TO BE INTERESTED, CONSIDERING THE AUTHOR HAS GIVEN THEM ENGLISH
MASALA POTBOILERS APLENTY IN THE PAST.
66 harmony celebrate age september 2013