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ABOUT

Raiford Rogers, a native of Bad Axe, Michigan, is an internationally recognized contemporary choreographer. He has created numerous collaborative pieces with prominent musicians and artists.  Mr. Rogers was twice awarded National Endowment for the Arts Choreographer Fellowships.

New ballets include Seeds of Rain (2022), set to Philip Glass' Mad Rush with Mark Alan Hilt (organ), and to Czech composer Zbynek Mateju's Three Stones Concerto, with painting progressions by artist Mike Nava, Naivete of Flowers (2018) and Garden of Untamed Roses (2019) with original music by Lloyd Rodgers, and art by Mike Nava.

 

Additional  collaborative works set to music by Zbynek Mateju include Joshua Tree Symphony and Still Life.

Raiford Rogers

Raiford Rogers 

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 2002 he created the Raiford Rogers Modern Ballet. The Company performs annually at the Luckman Fine Arts Complex, CSULA.

University of New Mexico (BFA).  Danced with Constanza Hool Ballet of Mexico and Gene Marinaccio American Concert Ballet.

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.

Hradec Kralove 2019

Zbynek Mateju, Raiford Rogers, Andreas Sebastian Weiser

2022 Tetyana 3 Seeds.JPG

Tetyana Martyanova in Seeds of Rain

Sharks_Seeds of Rain Mike Nava photo enhanced crop(1).JPG

Seeds of Rain

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  2010 - Present

Seeds of Rain (2022)

Music: Philip Glass & Zbynek Mateju

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

Last Songs of Beethoven

Last Songs of Beethoven  ©RRMB

2015 Prague Rehearsal 3.jpg
Eric Rochin & Teresa Arteaga

Eric Rochin & Teresa Arteaga in Dream Baby  ©RRMB

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)

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)

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

Concertante  ©RRMB

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