King for a Day
Somma seemed deeply appreciative of the rare opportunity he had been offered by Rolex. “You know,” he said: “I’m feeling a little schizophrenic. When I’m with Jiří in The Hague or Munich, the dancers we’re working with know who I am and want to learn something about my creative work. I even got to accompany Jiří when he was honoured in the Netherlands last December by Queen Beatrix. But when I’m back in New York working at the café, I’m at the bottom of the food chain, with people barking orders at me all day long and expecting me to be their servant. Life is strange. One minute I'm waiting tables, the next I'm meeting the Queen of the Netherlands. Then back to waiting tables.”
I visited Somma, after he’d returned home to New York. Like the European film-makers, I also asked if I could observe him “at work”. But once again, the only work he had scheduled for that week was his job waiting tables at the Jaffa Cafe. And yet, watching Somma “at work” as a waiter, I was treated to an object lesson in the creative uses of boredom, the way in which the drudgery of routine can stimulate rather than smother a young artist’s creativity. While noisy patrons in two different locations were trying (simultaneously) to command his attention, Somma – without missing a beat – waltzed over to my table – where he proceeded to quickly assemble an impressive work of “found” sculpture, utilizing two forks, a saltshaker and a handful of toothpicks. A small-scale work to be sure; but a work of art nonetheless.
Extracted from an article written by Roger Copeland for Mentor & Protégé, a magazine documenting the 2008/2009 cycle of the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative.
Roger Copeland is Professor of Theater and Dance at Oberlin College in the United States. His books include the widely-used anthology, What Is Dance?, and Merce Cunningham: The Modernizing of Modern Dance. His essays about dance, theatre and film have appeared in The New York Times, Village Voice, New Republic and many other magazines.