A child is born. We see underwater swimmers representing this. He is young, in a jungle setting, with two fanciful "instincts" guiding him as swooping bird-like acrobats initially menace, then delight. As an adolescent, he enters a desert, where a man spins a large cube of metal tubing. He leaves his instinct-guides behind, and enters a garden where two statues dance in a pond. As he watches their sensual acrobatics of love, he becomes a man. He is offered wealth (represented by a golden hat) by a devil figure. In a richly decorated room, a scruffy troupe of a dozen acrobats and a little girl reawaken the old man's youthful nature and love.

Frac, a mime who is suffering from a severe bout of depression, happens to meet a troupe of circus entertainers and immediately falls in love with one of the stars, Giulietta. But while his affection for Giulietta and admiration for the performers gives him a new lease on life, Giulietta's father, the leader of the troupe, opposes the relationship and is determined to keep them apart. Meanwhile, Frac and Giulietta discover a gang of children who are held prisoner by a criminal leader who forces them to do his bidding, and they devise a plan to win the kids their freedom. .

The brilliant artistry of Cirque du Soleil has transformed the circus into an exciting, novel performance experience. Nouvelle Expérience celebrates the magic of their innovative techniques and the genius of one of the most visionary groups of artists in the world. Included in the show that toured for 19 months in 1990-1991, performing to over 1.3 million people: Contortion, Korean Plank, Solo Trapeze, Tightrope, Aerial Straps, Acrobatics, Trapeze, Juggling, Clown, Russian Bar, Trampoline and Balancing on Chairs.