Raiford Rogers Modern Ballet presents the world premieres of Who Has Seen the Wind? and Landscape in Blue, alongside Rogers’ acclaimed Islands in the Sea.
Inspired by Christina Rossetti’s beloved 1852 poem, Who Has Seen the Wind? explores themes of nature, mystery, and the unseen forces that shape our lives. The ballet is set to a rich musical tapestry of works by Maurice Ravel, George Frideric Handel, and Arvo Pärt, performed by the Grammy Award–winning Parker Quartet and pianist Hui Wu. Through Rogers’ distinctive choreographic voice, poetry and music come together in a work of lyrical beauty and emotional depth.
Landscape in Blue is set to John Cage’s meditative masterpiece In a Landscape (1948). Reflecting the serenity and spaciousness of Cage’s score, the ballet creates an immersive atmosphere in which movement, music, and visual imagery unfold with quiet elegance and grace.
Completing the program is Rogers’ landmark ballet Islands in the Sea, a powerful and evocative work set to music by Arvo Pärt and Zbyněk Matějů. Celebrated for its sweeping choreography and emotional resonance, the ballet remains one of the choreographer’s signature achievements.
Enhancing all three works are stunning stage projections featuring original paintings by artist Mike Nava. These vibrant visual landscapes create a dynamic dialogue between dance, music, and visual art, transforming the stage into a richly textured environment and offering audiences a multidisciplinary artistic experience.
About the Choreographer
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.
“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