Näss (People) by Fouad Boussouf 2026 in Abu Dhabi

Näss (People) by Fouad Boussouf comes to Abu Dhabi for one night at The Red Theater, part of The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island. Seven male dancers take the stage in a piece that sets the sound of 1970s Moroccan music against the drive of contemporary hip hop, and the evening finishes with a conversation about how the work was made.

Näss is the word for “people”, and the title points straight at the group of musicians who inspired it. Created in 2018, it is the work of Boussouf, the Moroccan-born French choreographer who now runs one of France’s national choreographic centres.

What Näss is about

The starting point is a simple question: what happens when the energy of 1970s Moroccan music meets the attitude of hip hop? Boussouf’s answer is a high-energy encounter between seven men, mixing traditional North African rhythms with urban movement. The organisers describe the result as hypnotic, a trance-like ritual in which the dancers seem pulled along by the pulse of the music.

The piece draws on Nass el Ghiwane, the celebrated Moroccan group of the 1970s known for music rooted in tradition. Boussouf has said that their story was an important element in inspiring the work, and that he heard strong hip hop vibes in their lyrics, carried by ancestral traditions that are still alive. For him, hip hop’s search for identity and roots and Nass el Ghiwane’s return to heritage are versions of the same impulse.

He has described creating Näss “like a breath, physical and mystical”, a reminder of how essential it is to stay anchored to the earth. The company retreated to Morocco during rehearsals to find the work’s pulse.

What you will see on stage

Seven dancers, one pulse

Each of the seven performers brings his own technique and physicality, and the piece is built on the tension between those individual styles and the group. The dancers confront one another through a mix of techniques, each staying committed to his own style, while the group dynamic keeps the movement evolving.

Roots and street dance side by side

The vocabulary moves between hip hop, contemporary dance and gestures drawn from North African tradition. You do not need to know any of those forms to follow it; the rhythm carries you through.

The Q&A after the show

The performance runs for 57 minutes and is followed by a 30-minute Q&A, so the whole evening lasts about one hour and 27 minutes. Doors open at 7pm and the show starts at 7:30pm. The Q&A is a good reason to stay in your seat: hearing how a piece like this was built often changes how you remember it.

About Fouad Boussouf

Fouad Boussouf was born in Morocco and grew up in a village near Moulay Idriss before his family moved to France when he was seven. He started dancing hip hop as a teenager and went on to study social sciences at the University of Paris XII, where he also taught street dance.

At 27 he founded Compagnie Massala, and his first group piece, Déviations, followed in 2010. His later work includes Näss (People) in 2018, the documentary Le Ballet Urbain in 2019, Oüm in 2020 as an homage to the Egyptian singer Oum Kalthoum, Burn to shine in 2022 with the artist Ugo Rondinone, Vïa for the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève and Fêu in 2023, and °Up in 2025.

Between 2020 and 2022 he was an associate artist at Maison de la danse in Lyon, Équinoxe in Châteauroux and Maison de la musique in Nanterre. On 1 January 2022 he became director of Le Phare, Centre Chorégraphique National du Havre Normandie, and in the same year he was named Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres.

Who it suits

• Hip hop and street dance fans who want to see those styles in a theatre setting.
• Anyone with a connection to Moroccan or wider North African music, who will recognise the musical world Boussouf is drawing on.
• Contemporary dance newcomers, since the running time is short and the Q&A helps make sense of what you have just seen.
• Families with older children: the age policy is 10+, so it works as a first serious dance performance for a curious pre-teen.

If this is your kind of evening, our art and culture listings and shows and theatre guide cover more dance and stage work across the UAE.

Getting into The Red Theater at NYU Abu Dhabi

The Red Theater is inside the A6 Arts & Humanities Building on the NYU Abu Dhabi campus, off Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Highway. Because it is a university campus, entry works differently from a standalone theatre:

• Two codes: you need both your event ticket and the campus access QR code that NYUAD Campus Safety sends by email.
• Entrances: come in through the East Parking, the West Parking or the Welcome Center.
• By car: the suggested route follows Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Street (E10), then Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Street (E12) to Laffan Street. Using GPS is advised.
• By bus: route 170 (Al Saadiyat New York University) stops at Saadiyat New York University 3, a short walk from the building.
• Taxis and ride-hailing apps also serve the campus.

For access needs and wheelchair bookings, contact the NYUAD box office by email before the performance. A Green Al Hosn is no longer required for public events in Abu Dhabi, and masks are no longer required in most indoor spaces, including campus buildings.

Planning a longer evening on Saadiyat? Our guide to things to do in Abu Dhabi has ideas, and things to do in October lists what else is on this month.