Category Archives: Transhuman News

Marie (Zoe Derauf) and her magical toy in "Loyce Houlton's Nutcracker Fantasy." (Courtesy photo: Jim Smith)

So pervasive are productions of "The Nutcracker" on Twin Cities stages this time of year that it's easy to forget that it was still something of a novelty when Minnesota Dance Theatre founder Loyce Houlton created her own version in 1964. While many a dance company makes the ballet an annual tradition, "Loyce Houlton's Nutcracker Fantasy" has them all beat for longevity.

And this year's version of the "Nutcracker Fantasy" still summons up a lot of magic. On opening night Friday at Minneapolis' State Theatre, the Minnesota Dance Theatre company and a few dozen guest artists and MDT trainees presented a production full of sparkle and grace. The Christmas party of the first act swirled with energy and excitement, the colorfully rendered setting bursting with color and movement.

However, the performance lost some momentum in the second act, when the choreography was often far too safe and unspectacular to match the passion that poured forth from Pyotr Tchaikovsky's score as played by a 44-piece orchestra under Philip Brunelle's direction. But things always took an elegant turn whenever Kevin Iverson appeared onstage as Godfather Drosselmayer. He's the magnetic maker of magical toys who leads young Marie (a consistently impressive Zoe Derauf) on her dreamy odyssey to a dessert-laden landscape. There, she's joined by her now human-size nutcracker, beautifully danced by Zachary Manske.

Iverson's every flowing movement was impressively synchronized with Tchaikovsky's music. Opening the ballet amid a slanted, enchanted village (a delightful design by James Guenther), Drosselmayer is soon sending human-size dolls off to a party with a sharp crack drill squad of rifle-toting soldiers, human marionettes manipulated by invisible strings, and dozens of dancers taking a shift in the spotlight.

The international assembly of dancers that entertains Marie and her prince proves a mixed bag. While Katie Deuitch and Chris Hannon offer a lovely hybrid of ballet and flamenco as the Spanish couple, neither the Arabian nor Chinese dances ask much of the performers. In some versions, these are the most thrilling dances in the ballet, but they were too simple to be satisfying. The lone excitement comes from the lithe, leaping Russians, Serena Lu giving the proceedings a needed shot of adrenaline with her twirling, tumbling performance.

The grand pas de deux of Act 2 can similarly provide an explosion of emotion with its surging strains and lovely lifts, but Houlton's choreography proved disappointingly conservative, although impeccably executed by Katie Johnson and Sam Feipel, their solos far more intriguing than their duets. But one can find plenty of outstanding ensemble work in the "Dance of the Commedia Dell'Arte" and "Waltz of the Flowers."

This production is at its best when creating a kind of three-ring circus of a ballet, something interesting always happening somewhere onstage. Such scenes feel like the ballet equivalent of a sugar rush, something of which we could use more as it winds to a close.

Rob Hubbard can be reached at rhubbard@pioneerpress.com.

Who: Minnesota Dance Theatre

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Review: Loyce Houlton's 'Nutcracker' retains its energy

Unlike processed dark chocolate, antioxidants are preserved in raw cacao. Benefits from keeping organic chocolate unheated include; much higher levels of the famous chocolate antioxidants (oligomeric procynanidins, resveratrol and the polyphenols: catechin and epicatechin) as well as the preservation of vitamin C, phenethylamine (PEA, the feel good neurotransmitter responsible for the feeling of love!), Omega 6 fatty acids (which when heated become rancid and cause inflammation), tryptophan (a commonly deficient amino acid in those who consume a diet of mostly cooked food) and serotonin. The cool facts about chocolate in this article reveal how this fun and amazing superfood is actually healthy for you!

It turns out that all the bad things commonly attributed to non-raw chocolate bars, such as cavities, weight gain and diabetes, are actually caused by the dairy, sugar and others fillers added to the dark chocolate. Health benefits of chocolate when it is in the form of raw cacao beans, butter, nibs and/or the powder include; weight loss (because of its high chromium and coumarin content), prevention of cavities (theobromine actually kills streptococci mutans one of the strains of bacteria that cause tooth decay) and regulation of blood sugar which is beneficial for diabetes (chromium can naturally regulate blood sugar). Also raw cacao benefits the heart and the entire cardiovascular system as a whole.

Cacao is the highest whole food source of magnesium, which also happens to be the most deficient mineral in the diet of modern cultures. Magnesium relaxes muscles, improves peristalsis in the bowels and relaxes the heart and cardiovascular system. The dark chocolate antioxidants have been clinically proven to literally dissolve plaque built up in the arteries which helps in reversing heart disease and causes naturally lower blood pressure. Also, various other vitamins and minerals in raw cacao benefits the cardiovascular system. You can find organic cacao butter, cacao powder, cacao nibs, cacao beans and cacao paste at a great price, by clicking this link.

~Yang Jing, Qi, Shen, Blood ~Cooling, in excess heating ~Sweet, Astringent, Bitter ~Heart, Kidneys, Spleen

The antioxidant content of raw cacao benefits the cardiovascular and general whole body health. In processed dark chocolate, antioxidants such as epichatehins, chatechins, resveratrol and procyanidins can be present, but are in much lower levels than in unheated raw chocolate nibs as an example. Out of all the whole foods that contain antioxidants, raw chocolate is the highest in the world. It dwarfs the popular foods and beverages commonly touted as being antioxidant rich foods such as red wine, green tea and blueberries by a factor of 10x or more! There are certain herbs and spices, such as the chaga mushroom and cinnamon, which have higher levels of antioxidants in them but generally you won't be consuming enough volume of them to get as much antioxidant value from them as you would from a normal dose of raw cacao. Benefits from consuming antioxidants come when a range of different types of foods high in them are in your diet, since different coloured foods have different antioxidant compounds which target different parts of the body. The phytochemical analysis of cacao beans reveal that raw chocolate is perhaps the most chemically complex food on Earth. There are compounds yet to be discovered in this most amazing of live superfoods. Phytochemicals usually degrade in the cooking process, so the raw forms of them should be abundant in every diet for longevity.

~Anandamide (the only food that contains this neurotransmitter responsible for the feeling of "bliss") ~ N-linoleoylethanolamine (prevents the re-uptake of anandamide) ~Phenethylamine (PEA, a neurotransmitter known as the "love molecule") ~Seratonin (a neurotransmitter that acts as a "stress defense shield" by making you feel good) ~Dopamine (a neurotransmitter that boosts motivation and pleasure) ~MAO Inhibitors (prevents the re-uptake of serotonin and dopamine) ~Coumarin (has appetite suppressant, blood thinner and anti-tumor properties) ~Theobromine (controversial but actually quite beneficial for humans, see last section) ~Asparaginase (an enzyme that has anti-leukemia properties) ~Ergosterol (a precursor to vitamin D) ~Sitosterol (decreases LDL cholesterol)

The nutrient density of raw cacao benefits every function of the body. One of the many cool facts about chocolate is that it is the highest source of magnesium and chromium of any food! Magnesium is the most deficient mineral in the average human. All of the compounds found in raw cacao benefits longevity in humans.

~Vitamin A ~Vitamin B (1, 2, 3, 5 and 6) ~Vitamin C ~Vitamin E ~Magnesium ~Copper ~Calcium ~Manganese ~Zinc ~Sulphur ~Iron ~Chromium ~Phosphorus ~Omega 6 Fatty Acids ~Saturated Fats ~Amino Acids ~Carbohydrates ~Soluble Fiber (which is the type people need more of) ~Enzymes (including catalase, lipase and amylase) ~Other Beneficial Phytonutrients (such as the antioxidants already mentioned in this article)

Dr. Gabriel Cousens conducted a study on the health benefits of chocolate in February of 2008. What he discovered was that raw cacao benefits diabetics as a safe food since it raises blood sugar less than almost any other food, despite it's theobromine content! It even raises insulin sensitivity! One of the other cool facts about chocolate that he discovered was that it's not toxic to the liver (many people are falsely claiming the contrary), except when combined in large amounts with sweeteners high in fructose such as agave. This is basically the only well known clinical study done specifically on how raw cacao benefits human health.

It has been shown that raw cacao benefits a wide range of cardiovascular issues. The dark chocolate antioxidants and abundant amounts of magnesium and other phytochemicals can balance blood pressure, lower high cholesterol, scrub away arterial plaque and promote general health by reversing heart disease. (Raw) chocolate bars are known as a great remedy for many menstruation issues women can get. It is also confirmed as an aphrodisiac for both genders. What more do you want from one of the worlds top live superfoods? For more information about this amazing superfood, check out the book "Naked Chocolate" by David Wolfe and Shazzie which is packed full of information and amazing recipes!

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Raw cacao benefits human longevity without any negative side ...