Circus: Ye! (Water) – Circus Baobab

A pioneer of aerial acrobatic circus in Guinea, the Circus Baobab collective blends dizzying feats with poetic scenes to convey a committed message of solidarity regarding water conservation. It is a major undertaking for these young artists, who embark on physical and symbolic flights that feel like an epic journey for survival. At the crossroads of traditional African art forms and contemporary circus disciplines, *Yé!* ("water" in the Susu language) weaves together—at a driving pace—aerial acts, human pyramids, hip-hop dance, hand-to-hand balancing, acrobatic maneuvers, mask dances, sacred drumming, and animal-like movements brought to life by contortionists... Not to mention soaring feats performed more than seven meters in the air! The show employs a rich visual and technical vocabulary, unfolding through a series of increasingly expressive scenes that address the planet's alarming state, the loss of bearings, and the need for solidarity among peoples—both in Africa and beyond. The performance by these thirteen Guinean artists radiates a joyful, contagious collective energy, akin to acrobatically casting a message in a bottle out to sea, hoping it reaches the other shore.