Yé! | Water! will be staged at The Arts Center on 9 and 10 May.
Forget everything you think you know about the circus — and mark your calendars for the regional debut of Yé! | Water! instead. Set to be staged in The Red Theater at The Arts Center at NYUAD on 9 and 10 May, this high-energy fusion of contemporary West African circus, hip-hop, and powerful environmental storytelling by Guinea’s Circus Baobab is unlike anything the capital has seen.
Set against the backdrop of Guinea’s vibrant traditions and modern realities, Yé! is a vital and visually stunning experience — and a perfect summer entertainment option for families, students, and art lovers across Abu Dhabi. Using African circus techniques in a dynamic and poetic expression of environmental issues, the production is a call to build a better world for tomorrow together, one in which humans take better care of nature and its future.
Aligning with the UAE’s ongoing commitment to building a sustainable future and a cast of flying acrobats, contortionists, breakdancers, and musicians, Yé! will deliver a compelling and urgent message about the global water crisis. The electrifying production transforms circus into a vibrant, thought-provoking art form that celebrates culture, resilience, and the power of human connection.
“Since the beginning of The Arts Center a decade ago, sustainability and the environment have been recurring themes in our programming,” says Executive Artistic Director at The Arts Center at NYUAD Bill Bragin. “We’ve also made a strong commitment to contemporary circus as a form which is hugely entertaining for the whole family, while also being able to engage in conversations about important issues. Circus Baobab brings both of these interests together, in a dynamic circus performance of West African acrobatics and hip-hop dance, inspired by the prevalence of single-use plastic water bottles in our lives.”
Through pyramids, aerial choreography, and kinetic storytelling, the artists of Circus Baobab take audiences on a journey through the environmental challenges facing our planet. As they leap, lift, and defy gravity, the performers symbolically reflect humanity’s struggle and resilience in the face of ecological collapse. Their movements become a visual metaphor for both fragility and strength, urging viewers of all ages to take action for a sustainable future.
The 9 May performance will feature a post-show Q&A moderated by Chinasa Ezugha, Assistant Arts Professor of Live Art/Art as Social Practice at NYU Abu Dhabi, offering a deeper insight into the themes and creative process behind the production. Founded in 1998, Circus Baobab is a collective of performers from Guinea and the diaspora blending traditional African circus techniques with contemporary performance styles. Under the artistic leadership of Kerfalla Camara, the company creates works that celebrate heritage while addressing pressing global issues, with a strong commitment to community engagement and social responsibility.
Discover: Yé! | Water! Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi. @nyuadartscenter
