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Show Wednesday, April 27, 2011 Page 5 AggieLif• Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.utahstatesman.co Hippies abound at Earthly Awakenings By NATASHA BODILY staff writer An aroma of burning incense greets customers of Earthly Awakenings, a small shop located across the street from Cafe Ibis at 21 Federal Avenue. The store has a merchandise selection ranging from jewelry, oils and crystals to a variety of tobacco supplies. Covering the wall behind the checkout counter are Polaroid pictures of customers' dogs. "We are a dog-friendly establishment," said Kari Scott, an Earthly Awakenings employee. "We have had small dogs come in and even Great Danes. They get treats and if (the owner) is in, we take their pictures and put them up," she said. Owner Marlene Hansen, a Cache Valley native, said she opened the store more than 16 years ago. She said she had always wanted to own a store like Earthly Awakenings, so she just did it. She loves her job and the customers she deals with daily. "I love the fun, different people that come in," Hansen said. "All of my customers are so different. I get people from all walks of life in here." She said the most popular item they sell is tobacco, but they have many other products including tie-dye and leather clothing, oils, incense and herbs. "I couldn't really make it on tobacco alone," Hansen said. She explained she orders most of the merchandise from other stores and the shop is much more than just tobacco and its byproducts. "A fun thing about working here is every time a shipment comes in it is like Christmas. What are we going to get this time?" Scott said. Hansen said many of her customers, but not all of them, use the oils, incense and herbs for a spiritual purpose. According to crystalandgemstones.com, certain oils and gemstones contain qualities associated with chakras in the body. One gemstone, bloodstone, is associated with the heart chakra: love, healing, courage and strength. Scott said incense is used for varying purposes depending on the person burning the fragrant sticks. She said incense has more than 1,000 years of burning history and some customers use it to make their homes and cars smell better, but others use it for services and ceremonies. "Different people use it for different purposes," she said. Carrie Miller, a senior in secondary English education, said she did not like the smell of incense until she visited Eastern Asia and fell in love with the smell of sandalwood. "I just associate it with really great memories," Miller said. She said during her visit to Cambodia, South Eastern China and Thailand she experienced a lot of cultural incense burning. "We went to Angkor Wat in Cambodia and spent most of our time there," she said. "It's a complex of temples where people still take offering so they burn incense all over them." Miller said she would probably burn more incense now if other people enjoyed the smell as much as she does. Scott said she owns many of the stones the store offers and likes them all. "They're all so different and have many reasons and purposes," she said. "The Native Americans believe the stones are the wisdom keepers because they were here first. We're all made up of the same stuff essentially." She explained everything is composed of vibration and light. "Just like every human being has a different vibration, so do all the different stones based on the color or their crystalline makeup," she said. She said she does not know how the descriptions of stone and oil benefits came about, but that because so many different authors have reached the same conclusions, it is up to the individuals using the oils or stones to test it for themselves. "Everybody is different so everyone is going to experience some different effect," Scott said. Aside from incense and stones, the store also has a selection of herbs and spices, which Scott said could be used to make tea, cooked or burned as incense. She said they have many enlivening kinds of EARTHLY AWAKENINGS SELLS more than tobacco. They also sell incense, herbs, oils and more. The shop is a dog-friendly establishment, complete with pictures of customers with their pets. JON LARSEN photo oils, but lavender is good for relaxation. Many customers use the oils for medicinal purposes, she said. Scott said people use eucalyptus oil to calm respiratory problems because of the vapor that comes from the essential oil. She explained using natural products could be a purer form of curing or improving health ailments. Customers can also find a selection of clothing in the back of the store. Braden Felix, a sophomore in engineering, bought Mukluks from Earthly Awakenings. He said they are similar to Eskimo shoes: socks made of thick yarn with leather bottoms. Felix said there is a section of the store with USU T-shirts and anti-BYU T-shirts. He said the store had a hippie vibe and that many of the people in the store were different from him. Scott, a Washington state native, said she likes her job at Earthly Awakenings and the store should not really be called a smoke shop, but is known more as a hippie or spiritual store by customers. She said it has an alternative appeal. "I call it sanctuary. It is the only place in Cache Valley that you can find these things," she said. — natashabodily@gmail.com Dancing their way back to Cache Valley By JESSICA SWEAT features senior writer Repertory Dance Theatre (RDT), a professional Utahbased modern dance company, presented their newest show, "Elements," at the Ellen Eccles Theatre in Logan in March.. Marketing director for the Cache Valley Center of the Arts Amanda Castillo said the company likes to highlight local talent and was founded in 1966 in Salt Lake City. She said they had been keeping their eye on RDT, and were pleased to have them return the Ellen Eccles Theatre once again. This show mainly centered around environmental awareness and enhancing the elements. As RDT celebrated 45 years as a company, the theme of preservation and sustainability was emphasized. "It's fantastic they have been around as long as they have and still bring creative modern works today," Castillo said. Castillo said RDT created their show to enhance all the natural elements and the relationship they have with each other as well as the role they play on our planet. "Elements" was all about environmental awareness and the concepts of sustainability and preservation. The show also included a piece based on "green mapping" projects the dance company had been learning about from the Green Map Organization. Castillo said green maps help communities create an environmental portrait through icons representing hazards or benefits such as air pollution and solar energy. She said RDT "danced the green map" from choreography that was inspired by these icons. Castillo said the piece was how RDT took these icons and made them more relevant to our envi- THE REPERTORY DANCE THEATER performed "The Lady of the Lake" when they came to visit in March. The dance company uses natural elements in their shows to raise environmental awareness. photo courtesy REPERTORY DANCE THEATER ronment. She also said it showed a new way to look at a community. Repertory Dance Theatre also danced with local dance group Valley Dance Ensemble. Castillo said RDT strives to make a longer-lasting community impact everywhere they perform. One way they achieve this is by hosting workshops and giving lectures. "They are really trying to get into schools to make a longer lasting impact from their visit," Castillo said. Along with the green map piece, Castillo said she is most excited for "Ghost Ship" and "The Lady of the Lake." Castillo said all the pieces were created to enhance the elements and that by actually using substances such as water and rice, we are physically able to see a message. Castillo used the piece "Ghost Ship" as an example for its message about food and awareness to a sense of place. Castillo said the dancers used 120 pounds of rice in this piece and recycle it for each show. As for water, the piece "The Lady of the Lake" called for actual water on stage to represent its crucial role and ancient origin in societies. Castillo said the show brought in a fun mix of people. She said not only dance enthusiasts attended, but possibly those who are curious to see what the show was all about. RDT also had a recent performance at Weber State University. Weber State University student Julia Cannon attended this show and said, "RDT's choreography is creative and very interesting to watch and the dancers have beautiful technique, but they are also very expressive. I really enjoy their performances." Former Utah State University student Bethany Linton said she has been to several RDT dance performances. "Your first professional modern dance concert is going to be bizarre. But the more you come to understand the artistry and the radical newness it brought to the art of dance, you can't help but love it! From Martha Graham to local programs, Modern Dance is an insanely cool expression of movement and passion," she said. — jessie.a.sweat@aggiemail.usu.edu t74) .ffianetartid Eenie With hundreds of styles to choose from... 45 North Main Meenie MO! Miney How will you DECIDE? www.diamondgallerylogan.com 435-753-4870 |