Finding a Common Ground
Valerie Carpani immediately noticed something missing in her life when she began her first semester at Central Michigan University in 2007.
A long-time passion - dance - seemed to have lost its place in her life, somewhere in the midst of transition.
"I danced most of my life, and when I got here, I thought, 'this was it,'" the South Lyon junior said.
A year-and-a-half later, Carpani sees how what she once thought of as an end turned into the beginning of something brand new.
Not long after starting college, Carpani heard about the Common Ground Dance Team. The group was founded with a focus on diversity, she said, but all of its members shared one common interest: a love for dance. It seemed like the perfect fit.
"I heard about it and thought I'd go for it," Carpani said.
Her first performance with the group turned out to be an interesting experience.
Carpani was traveling into downtown Mount Pleasant with a friend named Rod. The two were heading to Island Park to meet other Common Ground members for a community event.
"For some reason, there was a random parade and we got stuck," she said.
The two parked, jumped out of their car and took off running, making it to the performance just in time.
Standish senior Whitnie Kimball remembers the grand entrance Carpani made that first day and questioned her for being late, at first. Now, she said, it's just an interesting memory.
Since then, Carpani has grown closer to her fellow dancers.
"It's the one thing I love to go to when it's been a rough day," she said of team practices. "We're really easy going and love to have a good time."
Kimball, currently president of the group, said spontaneity is something all team members learn to adapt to, and that is what makes performances fun.
Britanie Fletcher, Common Ground's vice president, said she enjoys how the group breaks the norm, showing CMU a side of diversity that students do not usually consider.
"You see white girls who technically aren't supposed to be in a dance and they get out there and do stuff like I do (as a black dancer)," the Muskegon senior said.
Kimball said all group members participate in hip-hop, jazz and ballet-style performances.
"We are all different people," she said. "We are just trying to show people that no matter where they come from, we can all come together and find a common ground."
Common Ground's Best of the Best Showcase
- When: At 7 p.m. today, doors open at 6:30 p.m.
- Where: Warriner Hall's Plachta Auditorium
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