Yé ! | Water! from Guinea's Circus Baobab at NYUAD The Arts Center

The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) is presenting the Middle East debut of Yé ! | Water! by Guinea's Circus Baobab, a high-energy fusion of contemporary West African circus, hip hop, and environmental storytelling (May 9, IO).

- Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

The family-friendly show will be staged in The Red Theater at The Arts Center at NYUAD. Set against the backdrop of Guinea's vibrant traditions and modern realities, Yé ! | Water! is a vital and visually stunning experience-perhaps the perfect summer entertainment option for families, students and art lovers across Abu Dhabi.

Using African circus in a dynamic and poetic expression of environmental issues, Yé! | Water! is a call to build a better world for tomorrow together — one in which humans take more heedful 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 ! | Water! delivers a compelling and urgent message about the global water crisis. The production transforms circus into a vibrant, thought-provoking art form that celebrates culture, resilience, and the power of human connection.

Executive Artistic Director at The Arts Center at NYUAD Bill Bragin said that “since the beginning of The Arts Center a decade ago, sustainability and the environment have been recurring themes in our programming. 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’s Yé 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.”