The world premiere of Raiford Rogers’ Islands in the Sea, set to the music of Arvo Pärt and inspired by the William James quote, “We are like islands in the sea, separate on the surface but connected in the deep.” The work explores the unseen forces that unite us.
The ballet features choreography set to several of Pärt’s most evocative compositions — including Fratres, Passacaglia, Pari Intervallo, Vater Unser, Spiegel im Spiegel, and Für Alina.
Glassworks, set to Philip Glass’ iconic composition of the same name, and Restless, set to music by Zbyněk Matějů, join with the company’s signature rhythmic elegance to complete the program.
Recorded specifically for this performance, the score features pianist Hui Wu, violinist Stephanie Yu, and cellist Elizabeth Wright. Large-scale projections by acclaimed visual artist Mike Nava create a rich, multi-sensory environment in which dance, music, and art converge.
“What impresses is Rogers’ prevailing sense of sensitivity toward ballet as an expressive language, the musicality and deeply intelligent performances of distinction and refinement.”
The Los Angeles Times
“Los Angeles-based choreographer Raiford Rogers has discarded the pointe shoe and invented a distinctly original style of modern ballet.”
Backstage New York
“Rogers is one of L.A.’s treasures. His ballets are eclectic, risk-taking, and adventurous. The result is unique, fresh, and adult. His company has asserted itself as a vital and major force from Los Angeles.”
National Public Radio
Raiford Rogers | Choreography
Raiford Rogers is an internationally recognized contemporary choreographer. He co-founded the Los Angeles Chamber Ballet with Victoria Koenig in 1982. In 2002, he established Raiford Rogers Modern Ballet, with which he has created numerous collaborative works with prominent musicians and artists from around the world. He has twice been awarded the National Endowment for the Arts’ Choreographer Fellowship.
Rogers’ recent collaborative ballets include Glassworks and Études (Philip Glass), Seeds of Rain (Zbyněk Matějů), and Naïveté of Flowers (Lloyd Rodgers). Artwork (painting progressions) for these ballets was created by painter Mike Nava.
Additional noteworthy ballets include Where Are You My Love and Merge with jazz legend Charlie Haden; Cocktails with Joey (Joey Altruda Mambo Orchestra); Cabin Fever with music by Sandra Tsing Loh; and Ex Machina with an original score by L.A. Phil composer Carlos Rodriguez. Other unique projects include Dmitri, with a synopsis by Woody Allen; In C set to music of Terry Riley; Orpheus: Ballet-Opera and The Little Prince with original scores by composer Lloyd Rodgers; Sleepwalk with artist John Nava; and Dream Baby set to music by Roy Orbison with sets by artist Mark Stock.
Arvo Pärt | Music Composition
Arvo Pärt is one of the most influential and widely performed contemporary classical composers in the world today. Born in Estonia, Pärt developed a deeply personal musical language known as tintinnabuli, inspired by Gregorian chant and rooted in a profound spiritual minimalism. Following early experiments with serialism, he withdrew from public composition for several years before emerging with a radically new voice marked by clarity, silence, and introspection. Works such as Fratres, Spiegel im Spiegel, and Tabula Rasa exemplify his distinctive style, characterized by meditative stillness and luminous simplicity. His music has resonated deeply across cultures and disciplines, from sacred settings to film scores, and continues to inspire audiences with its transcendent beauty.
Philip Glass | Music Composition
Philip Glass is one of the most influential composers of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. A pioneer of minimalism, Glass has developed a unique musical language marked by repetitive structures, shifting rhythmic patterns, and harmonic clarity. Born in Baltimore, he studied at Juilliard and later in Paris with Nadia Boulanger. His early collaborations with artists such as Robert Wilson (Einstein on the Beach) and later with filmmakers like Godfrey Reggio (Koyaanisqatsi) brought his music to wide and diverse audiences. Over a career spanning decades, Glass has composed operas, symphonies, concertos, chamber works, and film scores, continually expanding the boundaries of classical music while maintaining a distinctive, immediately recognizable voice.
Zbyněk Matějů | Music Composition
Zbyněk Matějů is a prolific Czech composer whose work spans opera, ballet, orchestral, and chamber music. Known for his lyrical expressiveness and dramatic sensibility, Matějů has composed extensively for the stage, collaborating closely with leading choreographers and directors throughout the world. His music combines emotional depth with structural clarity, often drawing on the traditions of Czech modernism while embracing a contemporary voice. Over his career, he served as composer-in-residence for the National Theatre in Prague and received numerous honors for his contributions to Czech musical culture. His compositions are a vital part of the modern European repertoire, particularly in ballet and opera.
This performance is supported, in part, by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the County Arts Commission.
