“Individually unique, together complete” is how they define themselves, but to Kent State, they are the Legacy Dance Team.

Legacy Dance Team started at Kent State in 2010. Made up of 14 members, each has a different personality, dance style and background. The team uses the styles of hip-hop dance with a flare of ballet, modern and dubstep.

“We don’t stick to one style,” said Jasmine Campbell, junior physical education major and co-captain of Legacy. “We like to incorporate many different styles we can to fit the performances we do.”

Kevin White, senior fashion merchandising major and co-captain of Legacy, said the team started as a group of friends who liked to dance. He said they decided to come up with an organization so people could try out and become part of the team.

“The beautiful thing about this is we all mesh our different styles together,” White said.

Legacy creates a positive environment for others to express themselves through dance.

Campbell said she loves being a part of Legacy because she can still be herself and be a part of a team.

“You get to gain leadership qualities even if you don’t have a leadership role,” Campbell said. “It teaches you things like time management, leadership, organizational skills and communication skills.”

Dairia Harvin, junior communication studies major and choreographer for Legacy, said she has grown a lot as a dancer over the last three years of being on the team. She said her teammates inspire her when she comes up with new dances.

Legacy performs at on-campus events, churches and events in Akron. The team also holds its own competitions and shows.

Harvin said if she wasn’t a part of Legacy, she would still continue to be the person she was in high school.

“You don’t really recognize yourself until you are around other people,” Harvin said. “You compare yourself to them, you are inspired by them you figure out who you are.”

Steffahn Maclin, sophomore communications studies major, said Legacy is what made him social. He said he couldn’t imagine is college experience without being part of the team.

“Every accomplishment is a milestone for us,” Maclin said. “We grow from them and we learn from them.”

Legacy is more than just a dance team. It helps around the community with group community service projects, such as Habitat Humanity, Goodwill and Service Saturdays.

One of its many accomplishments was the homecoming parade win two years in a row. The group also holds an annual dance competition every November. Legacy is scheduled to perform in April’s Non-Greek Stroll Off.

“Legacy is the memory I will hold onto for the rest of my life,” Maclin said.

Contact Heather Kunkle at [email protected].