On the Greens, 1985

On the Greens, a site-specific work for Washington Square, North Beach, San Francisco, is a dance work created for 10 dancers, and performed to a sound score by Bill Fontana, for 2 live brass quintets and environmental sound recordings.

The thematic material for the work was developed from studying the movements and patterns used by Lawn Bowlers. As the work was designed for a Green, it seemed to be a fitting compositional departure in the creation of On the Greens. The dance does not attempt to imitate or duplicate a Lawn Bowling game, but distills the essence of the sport. As with all of Karp’s dances, the choreography is abstract with an emphasis on the elements of line, rhythm and pure movement.

The dancers, costumed all in white with the exception of brightly colored vests perform the work “in the round,” to be viewed equally from several vantage points around the Green.

Restaged for the theater in 1986