Cirque Kikasse Brings Excessive-Flying Enjoyable to Clark College

Arts@Clark Presents brings circus-meets-food-truck present to campus

By Levi Nelson

Clark College welcomed Cirque Kikasse to campus June 8 and 9 for 2 free lunchtime
performances of SANTÉ!, the troupe’s signature circus-meets-food-truck present. 

Presented by means of Clark College Foundation’s efficiency collection Arts@Clark Presents, Cirque Kikasse introduced college students, school, workers, and group members collectively
for a playful and energetic outside expertise crammed with acrobatics, comedy, balancing
acts, and loads of surprises. As the tutorial 12 months neared its finish, the performances
additionally provided an opportunity to have a good time Clark college students as they neared commencement and to
acknowledge the onerous work of school and workers who supported them all year long. 

Set on a totally reworked meals truck, SANTÉ! follows the troupe as they put together for service on a restaurant patio, constructing furnishings
right into a 35-foot balancing tower, bouncing throughout a trampoline, and making an attempt (not at all times
efficiently) to wash up an overflowing popcorn machine. 

“Whereas conventional circus traveled in trains and wagons to pitch a Big Top on the town
after city, Cirque Kikasse excursions with, and performs world-class acrobatics on, a customized
circus/meals truck full with full capability for meals and beverage service, plus
a trampoline,” defined Ruth Wikler, Clark College Foundation’s Director of Arts Programming, Partnerships, and Philanthropy.
“We had been so fortunate to catch these extraordinary artists on their journey throughout the
nation; so happy to have the ability to introduce them to our great college students and their
considerate culinary creations; and so pleased to welcome college students, school, workers, and
space households to campus for a one-of-a-kind performing arts expertise celebrating
the top of the tutorial 12 months!”  

Adding to the celebration, college students from Clark College’s McClaskey Culinary Institute (MCI) honored Cirque Kikasse’s cultural roots by serving poutine, the nationwide dish
of Quebec.  

“For me, menu planning is always intentional. Food is a way to create community,”
defined MCI director Chef Earl Frederick. “When we discovered that the Quebec artists’ tour coincided with my Barbecue class
and Alex’s capstone, we developed a smoked-meat poutine menu (with a vegetarian choice)
accompanied by Alex’s three refreshing drinks (horchata, Jamaica, and lemonade).
As a end result, nice dialogue opened up between the scholars and the artists, not solely
across the logistics of service within the meals truck itself, but additionally about heritage
delicacies and the roots of barbecue.”  

Second-year MCI pupil Alex Zavala Contreras concurred: “I used to be underneath the impression my capstone venture would simply run as a standard
drink stand. But being in a position to collaborate with an act as distinctive as Cirque Kikasse has
positively made the expertise far more private. I felt like a child on the truthful once more.
My time within the window making drinks made me really feel like I used to be contributing to that have
for others.”   

For Lucy Winslow, MCI Service Lead: “It was a lot enjoyable being part of the collaboration between
our second-year college students and these unimaginable artists on such a novel venture. It
expanded their notions of what’s potential!”  

The artists appreciated the collaboration, too. Cirque Kikasse co-founder William Poliquin-Simms shared: “This is Cirque Kikasse’s first time working with culinary college students, and
it was actually particular. We loved working alongside the scholars at lunchtime, and
their poutine was one of the best we’ve had south of the [Canadian] border!” 

Founded in 2021 by circus artists and administrators Hugo Ouellet-Côté and William Poliquin-Simms,
Cirque Kikasse has carried out SANTÉ! greater than 250 occasions for over 100,000 spectators throughout Canada and the United States.
Their cease in Clark gave Vancouver audiences an opportunity to expertise their distinctive mix
of virtuosity, humor, and viewers connection up shut, to not point out style some
Quebec-inspired culinary delights. Clark College Foundation supplied the performances
at no cost to the general public, creating an unforgettable and accessible second of artwork,
meals, and group on campus.

About Clark College Foundation’s Arts@Clark Presents

Arts@Clark is an initiative of Clark College Foundation that elevates Clark College’s visible, digital, performing, literary, and culinary arts packages whereas strengthening
connections between the College and the Southwest Washington group. Through partnerships
with school and visiting artists, Arts@Clark Presents presents a curated collection of performances, workshops, and different public occasions — many
free or low-cost and family-friendly — that introduce nationwide and worldwide artists
to Clark County whereas creating significant, hands-on studying alternatives for college students.
Community members are invited to attend occasions and assist this work by means of the Foundation’s
Performing Arts Initiatives Fund or different Arts@Clark packages, serving to guarantee the humanities stay a vibrant bridge between College and group.  Learn more about Arts@Clark on the Foundation’s website. 

Photos: Clark College Foundation/Levi Nelson

Story by Levi Nelson, Senior Manager of Communications and Marketing, Clark College
Foundation