ABOUT
Raiford Rogers is a native of Bad Axe, Michigan. As a choreographer, he has created over 50 ballets including numerous collaborative pieces with prominent musicians and artists.
His works have been performed throughout the U.S., Europe, and Latin America. Mr. Rogers was twice awarded National Endowment for the Arts Choreographer Fellowships.
New ballets include Naivete of Flowers and Act 2: Garden of Untamed Roses with music by Lloyd Rodgers and painting projections by Mike Nava, Joshua Tree Symphony and Still Life set to music by acclaimed Czech composer Zbynek Mateju, Schubert's Silence (piano Sonata in G Major), and John Cage's In a Landscape. Rogers also created ballets set to Beethoven's late piano sonatas and string quartets.
Other collaborative ballets include: Where Are You My Love and Merge with jazz legend Charlie Haden; Cocktails With Joey with Joey Altruda and his Mambo Orchestra; Cabin Fever with Sandra Tsing Loh; and Ex Machina with L.A. Phil composer Carlos Rodriguez. Other unique projects include Dmitri, set to a synopsis by Woody Allen; In C to music of Terry Riley; Orpheus: a Ballet-Opera; The Little Prince with composer Lloyd Rodgers; Sleepwalk with artist John Nava; and Dream Baby set to music by Roy Orbison with sets by artist Mark Stock.
Mr. Rogers co-founded the Los Angeles Chamber Ballet with Victoria Koenig in 1982. In 2002 he created the Raiford Rogers Modern Ballet. The Company performs annually at the Luckman Fine Arts Complex, CSULA.
John Funk & Carol Guidry in Cabin Fever
BALLETS 2010 - Present
Act 2: Garden of Untamed Roses (2019)
Music: Lloyd Rodgers
Naivete of Flowers (2018)
Music: Lloyd Rodgers
Joshua Tree Symphony (2017)
Music: Zbynek Mateju
Still Life (2015)
Music: Zbynek Mateju
Raiford Rogers
Guest Artist | GOLDEN PRAGUE FESTIVAL | Opening Gala Concert marking the 70th anniversary of the Prague Dance Conservatoire
Arts Advisor | Alberto Vilar Global Fellowship in Performing Arts
Guest Artist | Loyola Marymount University Dance Department
Board of Directors | Arts Inc. and panelist on numerous non-profit and government peer panels
Besides his work in dance, Mr. Rogers hosted and directed art segments for Life & Times (KCET PBS), profiling leading artists and architects.
Rogers was portrayed as a wiener dog in the CBS animated series Creature Comforts (Aardman Animations). His profile is depicted as Saint Bonaventure in artist John Nava’s Communion of Saints tapestries for the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. As an entrepreneur, he co-created Cartesian® Original, a start-up accessory company. He was named one of the 100 coolest people in Los Angeles by Buzz Magazine. Mr. Rogers is a published poet and has been included in two poetry anthologies.
BALLETS 2000 - 2009
Ostinato In C (2009)
Piano Quintet Op. 30, Largo (Sergey Taneyev)
Poquita Fe (2009)
Music: Flaco Jimendez
Last Songs of Beethoven (2008-2009)
Grosse Fuge in B flat Op.133 (2008)
Cavatina,String Quartet No.13 in B flat, Op.130-5 (2008)
Heiliger Dankgesang (2009) String Quartet No. 15
in A minor Op. 132-3
Adagio in Blue (2007)
Toccata in C, Adagio BWV 564 (JS Bach)
Transcription: Passacaglia (2007)
Partita II in D minor (Bach / Reger)
Transcription: Chaconne (2006)
Chaconne in D Minor (Bach / Busoni)
Sonata No. 2 (2006)
Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 2 (Bohuslav Martinu)
Prelude in Green (2005)
Sonata for Violin and Cello (Corelli/ Geminiani)
On Matters of Consequence (2014)
Music: Lloyd Rodgers
Schubert’s Silence (2013)
Piano Sonata No 18 in G major “Fantasie” D.894 by Franz Schubert
Preludes In a Landscape (2012)
Prelude Fantasia in A minor, BWV 922 (JS Bach).
Chorale Prelude BWV 659 (Bach/Busoni)
In a Landscape 1948 (John Cage)
Largo, Concerto for Piano in F minor, BWV 1056 (JS Bach/Kempff)
Abschied (Franz Liszt)
Reckoner (2012)
Music: Radiohead
Four Pieces for Piano (2011)
Toccata and Fugue for Left Hand (Jeno Takacs)
Fantasia for Piano (CPE Bach)
Piano Trio in E No. 28, Allegretto (Joseph Haydn)
Abschied (Franz Liszt)
Hammerklavier (2010)
Hammerklavier - Piano Sonata No. 29 in B flat major (Adagio) Op.106-3 (Beethoven)
Gesangvoll - Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major (Andante) Op.109 (Beethoven)
Arietta - Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor (Arietta) Op.111-2 (Beethoven)
BALLETS 1990 - 1999
Charms (1999)
Music: Piccioni/Umilian
Cocktails with Joey (1997/1998)
Music: Joey Altruda and His Mambo Orchestra
Merge (1996)
Music: “Lonely Woman” by Ornette Coleman (Charlie Haden)
Where Are You My Love? (1995)
Music: Charlie Haden Quartet West
Cabin Fever (1994)
Music: Sandra Tsing Loh
The Nutcracker (1994)
Sleep Walk Question of Balance / Problem of Dreams (1992-1993)
Music: Sonnambula (Bellini), Macbeth (Verdi), Rusalka (Dvorak), Medea (Cherubini)
Dream Baby (1991)
Music: Roy Orbison
So Nice (1990)
Music: Bossa Nova
BALLETS con't 1980 - 1989
Symphonie No. 4 (1989)
Music: Mozart
Dmitri (1989)
Scenario by Woody Allen
Orpheus: A Ballet-Opera (1988)
Music: Lloyd Rodgers
The Little Prince (1986-87)
Music: Lloyd Rodgers
Stone or Star (1986)
Music: Johann Strauss
Wishes and Turns (1985)
Piano Quartet (Bohuslav Martini)
Lysistrata (1984)
Concerto for Cello in G minor (Vivaldi)
Autumn Trilogy (1983)
Oboe d’amore Concerto in A major (JS Bach)
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock (1982)
String Quartet No. 2 (Alberto Ginastera)
Concertino (1981)
Concertino (Luciano Berio)
Concertante (2005)
Petite Symphonie Concertante (Frank Martin)
Wishes and Turns (2004/1985)
Piano Quartet (Bohuslav Martinu)
Ex Machina (2003)
Music: Crater Lizards by Carlos Rodriguez
In C (2002)
Music: Terry Riley
CHANEL (2001/1994)
Music: Amon Tobin
Cabin Fever (2001/1994)
Music: Sandra Tsing Loh / Amon Tobin
Knockaround (2000)
Music: Joey Altruda and the Jump with Joey Ska-Band
Concertante ©2014 RRMB
Bobby Briscoe & Alexis Maragozis in Transcription
Eric Rochin & Teresa Arteaga in Dream Baby ©2014 RRMB
Last Songs of Beethoven ©2014 RRMB
Zbynek Mateju, Raiford Rogers, Andreas Sebastian Weiser