Top: Southgate students get up and dance along to the music of Flame. Bottom: Lead singer and guitarist, Michelle King, performs one of Flame's songs.

March 29, 2010 - Southgate students were treated to an early morning rock & roll dance party on Monday, March 29, but the band entertaining them was just as moving as their music was.

Flame, a group from upstate New York made up of 11 people with developmental/physical disabilities, including autism, Down’s syndrome, mental retardation and blindness, captured the Southgate students’ attention with familiar tunes from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.

The band from Lexington Center, Fulton County Chapter, NYSARC, Inc., wants to change the world through music. Flame began in 2003 and the plan was to have the band play at the agency and around town. However the profound effect they have on their audiences made it impossible to keep Flame within the confines of Fulton County. According to their website, word spread and requests for hire began pouring in and Flame now averages over 90 performances per year, including concerts in 12 different states and in Europe. They perform for national and statewide conventions, corporate conferences, civic events, school functions, dances, and private parties. Their song list contains over 100 classic hit rock, country and blues songs from the past five decades.

Southgate students connected with the members of Flame and even got off the floor towards the end of the concert for an impromptu dance party.