David Dorfman’s dance company’s style grew out of the social dance style of the mid-70s, which in turn evolved from African movements and early Lindy Hop dances. Their performance here at Stuart Theatre on Saturday at 8:00, Prophets of Funk, will include references to the style of the 60s , 70s, and even a little bit of modern hip-hop.

Students can also go to the pre-show discussion at 7 p.m . in the Walnut room or dance to DJ Ras J and view the art installation by the Advance Media Lab by the College of Design before the show.

In this particular performance the ensemble is focusing on the music of Sly and the Family Stone and their message of populism.

“We’re always trying to use this word model… to be examples for the audience, those folks who come to see us. [We do this through] the way that we reflect a democratic process on stage, the way that we feel as equals, and the way we work through when one person is put up high… or cast out,” Dorfman said.

Dorfman chose Sly and the Family Stone because the group is such a good example of egalitarianism; it was already racially integrated in the 1960’s when minorities were still fighting for their rights. He saw the group perform when he was 17 and never forgot how inspired he was.

“Seeing a woman playing the trumpet and black and white folks on stage and them jumping around and Sly going crazy it was like ‘Oh my gosh, this is life, that’s a society on stage, and I bet you they have the greatest time together and I bet you they get in arguments, but they are living it'” Dorfman said. “I wanted to say ‘Maybe you think it was just relevant to 1968-73 or ’75, but I think its relative now.'”

“For me [the issue addressed in this piece] that is very prominent and sticks out is race relations, and the very sticky matter of racism,” Timothy Edwards, who has been dancing with David Dorfman Dance since this November, said.

“The important themes in this piece are of all people having equal merit and being equally valuable,” Luke Gutgsell , who has been dancing with David Dorfman Dance for two and a half years, said.

To prove their point, and “put their money where their mouth is,” as Dorfman puts it, David Dorfman Dance will be asking the audience to come up on stage at the end of the performance and join in. People who come early can also learn a line dance that the ensemble does in the show to Sly and the Family Stone’s song “Everyday People.”

“I like seeing everyday people on stage–I’m one of those people,” Dorfman said. “I came more than not from community classes–that’s how I started dancing.” This connection has led him to create a variety of community-based projects such as the Athlete Project and Family Project.

While the company has all different strategies for choreographing, it is always a collaborative effort.

“I usually start with a phrase or two or three phrases, I teach it to our company, and then many times, and in this piece in particular, they take it and make it their own,” Dorfman said. He calls it “funkifying.” He then, as the director, organizes all the individual pieces into a whole.

“Our dance style is a very physical, kinetic style, that’s risky–it has a lot of partnering… it relies on social dance quite a lot, so we are dancing with each other,” Dorfman said. “I was influenced by the disco era quite a lot.”

“It’s very down-to-earth, visceral, 3-dimensional,” Gutgsell said.

The performance is also stylistically different because it includes an aspect of the dramatic, following the development of several characters.

“To me it’s dance theater. There is quite a bit of acting in it,” Edwards said. “I feel that every person has their own journey in the piece, and there are many different plots… and you are just watching this journey of, like one of Sly and the Family Stone’s songs, of everyday people.”

Kendra Portier , a member of the dance company, gave the example of her character, who starts the performance off by flitting around, unable to commit to an opinion.

“[She does] a little bit of growing up and standing up at the end,” Portier said.

In this performance they also just get to have fun on stage.

“[My] character is really a lot about my purple shorts, the character came out of that costume… She’s sassy.” Renuka Hienes , a member of the David Dorfman Dance Company, said. “The best part of this piece is that we really get to be joyful on stage with each other.”

“I bet that if you ask all of us, that’s all of our favorite aspect… joy breeds joy,” Portier agreed.