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Please note:

Star Returning takes place in Amare (The Hague) which is accessible during the NATO summit, but please allow for extra travel time.

Preferably come by bike or public transport. more information

Star Returning

Lemi Ponifasio

Copyright information:Star Returning production

With breathtaking vocals and intriguing symbolism, director Lemi Ponifasio powerfully and poetically showcases the rituals and traditions of the Chinese Yi people. Rituals and songs from Yi culture are at the heart of the musical performance Star Returning, which offers a profound look at the spirituality and connection with nature and ancestors characteristic of the Yi people. 


The project gives performers and communities the opportunity to rediscover and embrace parts of their cultural heritage that may have been forgotten or are presumed lost. Ponifasio, who was featured at the Holland Festival previously with The Crimson House (2014), Birds With Skymirrors (2011) and Paradise (2005), has over thirty years’ experience working with indigenous communities throughout the world. The visually and aurally stunning performance draws on his unique theatrical idiom in order to bring deeply-rooted traditions to life.  


The Book of Origins, a collection of creation stories, and the spiritual songs, essential in honouring ancestors, play a crucial role in Star Returning. The Torchfestival, a celebration of unity and the arrival of summer, also emphasizes themes like creation and the essence of life. Star Returning, with Ponifasio’s highly stylised visual and movement language, tells a story that connects past and present.


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Do you want to know more about Star Returning? Below you'll find an introduction by Lemi Ponifasio, a part of the script and 22 chants that will be performed.

dates

Wed June 25 8:15 PM

Thu June 26 8:15 PM

prices

  • default including drink from € 25
  • CJP/student/scholar incl. a drink € 18,75

information

  • 1 hour 30 minutes

About the programme


Introduction


 

Terror and beauty will continue in this world long after we are gone.  

It is in this tension that we find our purpose as artists.  

Our task is to bring people together with grace, dignity, and respect,  

inviting them to join the ceremony of life where we rise above the divides that separate us. 

 

Star Retuning is a community project to honor the complexities of life  

and infuse our communities with hope and authenticity.  

Through our collaborative efforts, we can reshape perceptions, inspire action,  

and resist despair with visions of beauty, strength, and potential. 

 

Lemi Ponifasio, Star Returning 

About the programme


Introduction


 

Terror and beauty will continue in this world long after we are gone.  

It is in this tension that we find our purpose as artists.  

Our task is to bring people together with grace, dignity, and respect,  

inviting them to join the ceremony of life where we rise above the divides that separate us. 

 

Star Retuning is a community project to honor the complexities of life  

and infuse our communities with hope and authenticity.  

Through our collaborative efforts, we can reshape perceptions, inspire action,  

and resist despair with visions of beauty, strength, and potential. 

 

Lemi Ponifasio, Star Returning 

Script


I AM BECOME DEATH 

The skull of the eagle fell  

from the unformed sky.  

It sets the world on fire,  

burning my mother’s tongue.  

I am born amidst the echoes of ancient chants. 

 

FAIL TO MATERIALIZE 

From the shadows, figures emerge —  

grasping tattered flags of broken empires,  

of unfulfilled blood-borne promises. 

 

ARCHITECTURE 

Ancestors trapped in human monuments,  

spirits chained to fading memories,  

unable to escape the future, unable to bury the dead.  

 

PROMISED LAND 

Where Eagles are born,  

love is declared, the stone forest calls —  

return home. 

 

SLOW DANCE ON BURIAL GROUND 

Women gather to pray on the ruins of history,  

in silent laughter, cries,  

summoning the faces of the ancestors. 

 

ANGEL OF HISTORY 

Can the angel soar through the storm?  

Awaken the souls from their sleep.  

Unearthed our dormant eyes Now entombed. 

beneath the ever-mounting debris of our desires. 

 

BIMO CEREMONY OF LIFE 

To cleanse, to welcome the new creators,  

new leaders, and new healers, to greet the ancestors,  

and walk facing the future. 

 

RETURNING TO THE WOMB 

Quietude. 


 



22 Chants

(Order of performance) 

 

1. Bimo Blessing Song (Sung by Bimo Qubi Lahuoo)  

Taken from Bimo blessing scriptures  

Blessings for peace and prosperity in the heavens and earth, health and well-being for the people, abundant harvests, thriving livestock, and contented, joyful lives.  

   

2. My Hometown · Dahuo Zhani (Sung by Jili Meziza)  

My hometown is the most beautiful place in the world. No matter how far I travel, I yearn for it the most. On this affectionate land, young men and women express their feelings with love flowing through their words.  

   

3. Asile Niu Niu (Sung by Aluo Zuogumu)  

Asile Niu Niu, people in this world always yearn for beauty. Today is the most auspicious day; the sky is clear, and the road is smooth. Let’s sing together on this beautiful day!  

   

4. Song of the Cuckoo (Sung by Jili Meziza)  

On Mount Aburhana, the cuckoo sings. It arrives every year after the seeds are sown, bringing the longing for distant relatives year after year.  

   

5. Dahuo Zhani Love Song (Sung by Jigen Fuze)  

I see a girl in a red pleated skirt walking over the hill and a handsome young man in a white cloak gazing at me from the other side. Under the moonlight, his fiery eyes make my heart flutter. Father, oh Father, please buy me beautiful clothes; I’m going to the Torch Festival to seek those burning eyes!  

   

6. Asile Niu Niu (Sung by Aluo Zuogumu)  

Asile Niu Niu, people in this world always yearn for beauty. Today is the most auspicious day; the sky is clear, and the road is smooth. Let’s sing together on this beautiful day!  

   

7. Mumole Dure (Sung by Liu Hui)  

A deep bond between siblings is described, lamenting how shared lives are destined for different fates—like horses born to carry loads and oxen born to plough fields.  

   

8. Lea Niu Niu (Sung by Qiebi Erli)  

My beloved, when you leave, even as spring comes to the village, my heart feels empty. The joy of harvest warms others, but I still miss you. Separated by 99 mountains and 99 rivers, our longing grows ever distant.  

   

9. Morning Ballad 

(Sung by Hai Hongfei, Alai Muhai, Qiebi Erli)  

At dawn, I saw a cow. Seeing a cow isn’t strange, but seeing one wearing a scarf is odd. Then I saw a snake. Seeing a snake isn’t strange, but seeing one wearing a belt is odd…  

   

10. Asile Niu Niu (Sung by Aluo Zuogumu)  

Asile Niu Niu, people in this world always yearn for beauty. Today is the most auspicious day; the sky is clear, and the road is smooth. Let’s sing together on this beautiful day!  

   

11. Aya Lo 2 (Sung by Sha Zhiguo)  

On the vast mountains, sheep graze happily. In fertile fields with abundant water channels, rice grows well. Rivers teem with joyful fish, and the vast grasslands are home to contented cattle and sheep. Healthy elders and happy descendants complete the scene.  

   

12. Asile Niu Niu (Sung by Aluo Zuogumu)  

Asile Niu Niu, people in this world always yearn for beauty. Today is the most auspicious day; the sky is clear, and the road is smooth. Let’s sing together on this beautiful day!  

   

13. Aya Lo 2 (Sung by Sha Zhiguo)  

On the vast mountains, sheep graze happily. In fertile fields with abundant water channels, rice grows well. Rivers teem with joyful fish, and the vast grasslands are home to contented cattle and sheep. Healthy elders and happy descendants complete the scene.  

   

14. Hua Le (Sung by Jili Meziza)  

The warriors of Bilrada are renowned. Jezhiyaida's beauties are as lovely as Gamo Aniu's. The strongest bull of Agaditu can plough a thousand acres in a day. Even slow horses excel in Jinjulada’s races. Strong rams graze in Refuogibe. This is my homeland.  

   

15. Boa Niu Niu (Sung by Jili Meziza)  

Walking behind the autumn house, leaves turn yellow, and daughters are married off, like falling leaves. Some marry the wealthy, wear three outfits a day, and feast sumptuously. Others marry far away, change clothes every three years, and eat a meal every three days.  

   

16. Aya Lo 3 (Sung by Sha Zhiguo)  

The cuckoo’s call brings parental longing. The geese in the sky carry news from a distant sister. The cicada’s song conveys the thoughts of family and friends.  

   

17. Suni Summoning Song  

(Sung by Jili Meziza, Jigen Fuze, Aluo Zuogumu,  

Hai Hongfei, Qiebi Erli, Sha Zhiguo, Liu Hui, Alai Muhai)  

The souls of loved ones are in the far-off mountains and high clouds. Break free from chains and ropes to return. Come back, drawn by the call of family.  

 

18. Aya Lo 3 (Sung by Sha Zhiguo)  

The cuckoo’s call brings parental longing. The geese in the sky carry news from a distant sister. The cicada’s song conveys the thoughts of family and friends.  

   

19. Summoning Speech  

(Sung by Qubi Lahuo, Jili Meziza, Jigen Fuze, Aluo Zuogumu, Hai Hongfei, Qiebi Erli, Sha Zhiguo, Liu Hui, Alai Muhai)  

Loved ones, come back. Eggs, buckwheat, and delicious pork are prepared for you. Don’t trust the soul-stealing spirits—follow the family’s call to return.  

   

20. Aya Lo 1 (Sung by Sha Zhiguo)  

The beautiful sunlight, shrouded in clouds; the high-hanging moon, surrounded by stars; the lush hillside, enveloped in mist; the beautiful tree, filled with birds; the lovely flowers, visited by bees; and the kind, beautiful girl, who inspires dreams in countless young men.  

   

21. Lullaby 

(Sung by Jigen Fuze, Aluo Zuogumu, Hai Hongfei, Qiebi Erli, Sha Zhiguo, Liu Hui, Alai Muhai)  

My baby, don’t cry or fuss. Mama will shield you from the wind and rain as you grow up slowly.  

   

22. Song of Missing Parents (Sung by Jili Meziza)  

Seeing the hills behind the house reminds me of the sheep. Seeing the sheep reminds me of my father. The fields in front of the house remind me of my hard-working mother. Father, now old, was once a heroic young man. Mother, with growing wrinkles, was once the most beautiful girl in the village. 


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Credits

concept Lemi Ponifasio direction Lemi Ponifasio design Lemi Ponifasio costumes Lemi Ponifasio sound Lemi Ponifasio poetry Jidi Maja performed by Wucaiyunxia New Culture & Art of Liangshan Culture and Tourism Group vocal performers - male actors Qubi Lahuoo (Bimo), Liu Hui, Alai Muhai, Sha Zhiguo vocal Performers - female Actors Jili Mezizha, Aluo Zuogumu, Jigen Fuze, Qiebi Erli, Hai Hongfei dance performers - male dancers Xia Jun, Shiyi Buqian, Li Huajie dance performers - female dancers Wu Zimo, Wang Qin, Peng Zhaoyuling, Hu Agamo, Yanggao Zuolamu choreography Lemi Ponifasio, cast light design Helen Todd technical direction Helen Todd video operator Alex Waghorn sound operator Alex Waghorn light operator Michael Morgan sound engineer Wang Bin technical supervision Issac Kirkwood stage manager Stella Chen Sifan tour manager Nancy Chen Simin management He Lijuan executive producer Chen Zhongwen production International Theatre Institute ITI co-production International Theatre Institute ITI, China Theatre Association, Shanghai Theatre Academy, Liangshan Culture and Tourism Group

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