Step-dancing to Beyonce’s hit “Single Ladies,” 71-year-old Charlotte Ingram wasn’t shy about her moves.
“Beyonce doesn’t have anything on me,” Ingram said after her performance Saturday night.
Ingram, a member of the 50+ Delta Divas, was part of the initial main performance at the seventh annual Step It Up In the Mile High City Step Show fundraiser at the Auraria Campus Events Center.
The seven women, a subgroup of the Denver Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, have presented a step performance for about 10 minutes each year that the event has been hosted.
Before their performance, the women practice about once a week for three months.
Ingram, who said she is “happily retired,” said she surprises herself with many of the moves she learns, but it’s worth it.
“First of all, it’s for a good cause, but it’s also a really good form of exercise,” Ingram said. “And it’s just fun. They let you get creative.”
The divas were one of seven step teams performing Saturday in front of nearly 1,800 people.
Most teams were from partner sororities, fraternities or nonprofit organizations.
The proceeds from ticket sales and from raffles at the event went to the scholarship fund for the Denver Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta.
LIFE, a team of four people from the nonprofit “Love is Finding Everyone,” won a national competition to perform on the BET network.
Team leader Miguel Contreras, 22, said that even though all team members are in college, they make time to practice seven days a week.
“When you’re doing something you love, all of your heart is into it and you just want to do it every day,” said Contreras, who is studying culinary arts at Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado Springs.
His team wasn’t competing for a prize on Saturday, but rather, was volunteering time for the event.
“We do a lot of community service, and a lot of community events,” Contreras said. “We’re all about giving back.”
Michelle Brown, president of the Denver Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, said the group is providing funds to help 15 girls in colleges across the country.
“This falls under our educational development programmatic thrust, but we have three youth programs overall,” she said.
The organization also raised money for their programs by hosting a large spring fundraiser two years ago.
Ingram likely will be dancing at next year’s step event, but not before taking some time off to travel, she said.
Yesenia Robles: 303-954-1372 or yrobles@denverpost.com
