(home) (stead)

What's In A Name?

 

The naming of this project came from a few synchronicities. I am a direct descendant of Casper Hongsermeier, a German immigrant farmer who took advantage of the Homestead Act of 1862 by settling in Hall County, Nebraska. The name also comes from the registered United States park I will be an artist in residence at in June 2024, Homestead National Historical Park in Beatrice, Nebraska.

 

The Oxford Dictionary expresses "home" as a "place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household." The noun "stead" in the Oxford dictionary is "the place or role that someone or something should have or fill (used in referring to a substitute)." Using parentheses, I provide additional information to clarify, explain, or add a side note. 

 

About the Project:

 

I am a Philadelphia-based performance artist and filmmaker and will be a Homestead National Historical Park's Artist-in-Residence in Beatrice, NE, this summer. I am using this residency to create a new dance film focusing on the themes of intergenerational narratives of trauma and transitional characters in a family's lineage. The inspiration for the work comes from how struggle and hardship within the oral histories passed down family lines can produce positive and negative outcomes in the generations. 

 

The dance film to be created is an interdisciplinary project utilizing oral history, Authentic Movement, spoken word, breath, sound healing, and filmography. It will focus on deepening the embodiment of narrative storytelling portrayed through movement and using breathwork, spoken word, and sound healing instruments to create the film's score. 

 

Philadelphia and Nebraska Movement Artists Needed

 

I am excited to collaborate with two movement casts in the Philadelphia and Nebraska areas.

 

Philadelphia-Area Movers: I am looking for dancers available on Sunday afternoons or evenings in the Philadelphia area to rehearse in person. I plan to start rehearsals in early April and film in late May, with at least four rehearsals before filming. I cannot offer a stipend for this project, but I can provide project photos and video files for personal use.

 

Nebraska-Area Movers: I am looking for dancers for one-on-one Zoom rehearsals starting in May to create choreography using Authentic Movement. Authentic Movement is a somatic practice of intuitive improvisation with mover and observer roles. Dancers must be able to travel to Beatrice, NE, to film during my residency in late June. A travel stipend is available, but no housing.

 

For those interested, please email ahongsermeier@gmail.com, introducing yourself and attaching a dance-specific resume and movement reel. Please label your email "Homestead Project: (your area)." To learn more about me and my past work, I invite you to visit my website, https://ahongsermeier.wixsite.com/amber-hongsermeier/about.

 

If the project's timeline doesn't work for you but you are interested in working with me in the future, I am always interested in connecting with fellow creative professionals.