Get on Up and Dance to His Music

Sly and his family get down and get funky

When David Dorfman first saw Sly and the Family Stone as a university freshman in 1973, he probably never expected to create an entire modern jazz show around Mr. Sylvester Stewart' music. But more than 30 years later he did. And tonight, Dorfman and his talented 8-member national dance company performed that show to a sold-out crowd at the American Dance Institute here.

The show, entitled Prophets of Funk, sort of impressionistically hints at the story of Sly and his group from their first 60s hits to their explosion on the stage at Woodstock (Sly exhorting the crowd to "let me take you higher" is one of the seminal moments of that period) to his tragic slide into the wasteland of heroin addiction.

But tonight's performance was not about the down side of Sly's story; it was a celebration of the force of one man's music - a man who for a magical period of time created music powerful enough to force people to dance, but introspective enough to make them reflect on the rapidly changing world around them. Indeed, it was a high time. Sly's hair, styled in a massive Afro, was high. Sly himself, fueled by chemicals rather than the soul inherent in his music, was constantly high.  But, despite those personal demons, Sly was still able to make much of America, even those who rejected drugs, high on his music.

No where was that more apparent last night than in the 2-song encore where cast members  plunged into the audience to grab members to share their booty-shaking moves on stage to the beat of "Dance to the Music" and "Everyday People."

Talking about any modern jazz performance, even one I liked as much as Prophets of Funk, is tough. Dance is meant to be seen, to be experienced, not to be written about.  So suffice it to say that Dorfman's production is a much more funkified version of the Age of Aquarius play Hair, with more dancing and less singing. And, oh yeah, there are clips of Sly and his Family displayed on the giant screen behind the dancers. But, with all the energy and talent moving enthusiastically and entrancingly on stage, I must admit that the screen support was reduced to an enhancing after-thought.

Tales, Tidbits, and Traveling Tales:
As a classic rock musician for more than 40  years, I am fascinated with set lists. Here is the music (all written by Sly) in order from tonight's performance.

• Underdog
• Stand
• Love City
• If You Want Me to Stay
• I Want to Take You Higher
• Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey
• In Time
• Luv 'N Haight
• Somebody's Watching You
• Let Me Hear It from You
• Turn Me Loos
• That Kind of Person
• Dance to the Music
• Everyday People