Behind the veil of the lush Mayan jungle exists a world of crystal-clear water pools, coral rocks, and rich flora and fauna – an oasis within an oasis. A wooden walkway leads to a theater perched above a massive lagoon cascading in a majestic waterfall. This is the world of JOYÀ (Hoy-ya): a unique entertainment and culinary experience by Cirque du Soleil.

Welcome to a place where anything is possible. Here, up is down. Left is right. Backwards is forwards, and the past is really the future. Our guides on this whimsical journey are sweet Joya and her zany grandfather, Zelig. They’ll take us on a whirlwind of adventures through time and space where we’ll meet peculiar creatures with superhuman powers. They will do things that bend the mind and baffle the eyes. We’ll battle pirate ships, cannon fire, and dinosaurs. Rockets will shoot across the stage. We’ll swim under the sea and breathe just fine. In this magical new world, statues come to life, giant flowers grow in seconds, and paper butterflies fall like soft rain.

But what is JOYÀ? Is it theater? A circus? A musical? Comedy or drama? History or science fiction? Maybe fantasy? The beauty of JOYÀ is that it is all of those things and much more. It is a mind-bending, genre-blending show that has truly created a new category of immersive entertainment. JOYÀ invites you to leave this world for a while, forget what you know, and trust your imagination. We are guests at a Parisian art deco theater in 1920. Then we’re aboard a traveling spaceship. Next we are inside a giant machine, the belly of a robot. Maybe we’re all just small creatures in an ancient, giant library.

Inhabited by entrancing characters that work hand-in-hand to perpetuate the love of life, JOYÀ abounds in subtle allusions to the history and culture of Mexico, from the 5,000-km migration of the monarch butterflies (from Canada to Mexico) and the 66 million year old Yucatán asteroid believed to have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs (a dinosaur puppet that trots on stage also refers to this cataclysmic event) to artists such as Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo (vines, giant flowers and jungles are oblique references to the artists), and with mariachis, masked wrestlers, pirate legends (famous pirates took refuge on Isla Mujeres – the Island of Women – in the 17th and 18th centuries), and the rhythms and sounds of Mexico: cucaracha, marionettes, horror films (in reference to master of horror Guillermo del Toro), and even the underwater sculptures of Jason deCaires Taylor.

Welcome to JOYÀ. Take your seat. You’re in for a wild ride.