Beauty and grace unfold in slow-mo

The L.A. Chamber Ballet is undergoing a name change to match its identity. It seems the words “chamber” and “ballet” suggest pointe shoes and tutus, whereas Raiford Rogers Modern Ballet, the emerging name (both are still used), points to the company’s sleek, soft-shoed neoclassicism.

At the Luckman Theatre on the campus of Cal State L.A. on Saturday night, Rogers’ ballet minimalism meant that bodies became radiant instruments. Occasionally, however, too much slow motion felt as uneventful as a clock ticking.

On a stage with open wing space, the company’s 11 focused dancers entered and exited frequently in all four pieces, often using a toe-dragging walk, often carefully unfolding, balancing, rising and sinking with a wonderfully calm, studied air. Couples and trios drew the eye to myriad visual pleasures; group work in unison looked a bit ragged. Though unisex leotards replaced tutus and princely tunics, partnering never strayed from conservative male-female ballet protocols.

“In C,” first seen in New York last August, heated up to Terry Riley’s compelling score and had stunning moments with Lisa Gillespie, one of those dancers who takes you with her when she moves into Zen-like moments of stillness, propulsion and grace. Veronica Caudillo, John Funk and Brett Conway also shone here.

The evening’s world premiere, “Ex Machina,” was a bite-sized ballet that went by without incident. Or at least it seemed less colorful than the electric cello score, played upstage by composer Carlos Rodriguez, behind a scrim; or the scrim itself, which projections of light turned from a cloudy blue sky to a lime or crimson abstract painting. Liz Stillwell’s lighting also dramatically colored an otherwise underwhelming “Cabin Fever (Part 2)” (1996) and the still-witty “Where Are You My Love?” (1995).