Given that a young child she obtained dance instruction out of a Mrs. Thorp into the midtown Manhattan. To 1897, after graduating out of Thorp’s dancing university, she toured briefly having Black colored Patti’s Troubadours. A partner acceptance the lady so you can model getting a publicity that have Bert Williams and you may George Walker, who’d only obtained a knock within vaudeville debut at Koster and Bial’s Music Hallway. She accessible to model for the advertisement and after that inserted the fresh new guys in order to moving regarding cakewalk finale. Once joining John W. Isham’s Octoroon, a beneficial critic towards the Indianapolis Freeman proclaimed, «I got simply observed the greatest girl dancer.» With Elegance Halliday she formed the brand new sibling moving operate of Overton and you will Halliday. They performed as the set of Honolulu Belles regarding the Williams and Walkers’ The insurance policy People (1899), and you will after that, Overton started initially to develop as a good soloist with more nice positions. On the songs funny The fresh Sons away from Ham (1900) she carried out and you can danced «Skip Hannah of Savannah» and «Top Girls»; as well as in the next edition, «Society» and you may «Gleaming Ruby» hence introduced the lady jubilant acclaim. Tom Fletcher remembered her because the an artist who did ragtime sounds and ballads just as well; so when a performer «whom you certainly will manage almost anything, without number if it was buck-and-wing, cakewalk, if not some kind of grotesque moving . . . she borrowed new performance a nice gracefulness of motion unsurpassed because of the anyone» (Fletcher 1954).

James Weldon Johnson wrote you to she «got a minimal-pitched sound which have an organic sob in order to they, and therefore she realized strategies for with advising perception within the putting more than a track» (Johnson 1933)

Into the Summer twenty two, 1899, after the closure out of A fortunate Coon, the brand new ragtime music described by the Ann Charters while the «a beneficial hodge-podge of the things in the ‘coon’ range out of dollar-dance and you can ragtime tunes to alternatives on the huge opera,» Overton hitched George Walker; their commitment perform alter and you may elevate the cakewalk from a key African-American folk moving to the a black modernist expression, a top ways value are stay at website performed just before royalty, into light elite, as well as on brand new show phase.

You to night when you’re onstage, George Walker, to experience the newest part off Bud Jenkins, turned unwell

Williams and Walker’s Dahomey (1903) are one of the first black musicals to uncover the new cakewalk’s conversion process. With it, Aida (she changed the new spelling from this lady label away from Ada so you can Aida, the name of one’s Haitian lwa out-of virility) played Rosetta Lightfoot that have a highlighted solamente, «I want to End up being a bona fide Female,» as well as the «Cakewalk Finale,» partnered by her spouse. «The new line, the brand new sophistication, this new in hopes euphoria ones performers, whom curved more backwards until their brains nearly handled a floor, a feat demanding an unbelievable quantity of electricity, its enthusiastic prancing, almost during the slow motion, haven’t been equaled in this particular revel, let alone exceeded,» penned Carl Van Vechten (Van Vechten 1974). Dahomey try brought to London, in which it was displayed at the a demand show ahead of King Edward VII at Buckingham Palace. United kingdom high-society followed new Regal Family members with a good pouring warmth to own cakewalking. The organization returned to Ny with a new types of the brand new songs named From inside the Dahomey, and that open at Huge Opera (1904).

Inside Williams and Walker’s next show, Abyssinia (1906), Overton Walker is actually both a performer plus the show’s choreographer. She is actually second featured during the and you can staged the fresh sounds wide variety for Bandanna House (1908). His attacks was in fact after detected due to the fact syphilis. Into the 1909 the guy remaining the latest show, along with his character is actually rewritten for Overton Walker, whom donned his fancy dresses and you may sang his quantity, along with his major tune, «Bon-bon Buddie.» Together with her partner’s reputation much slower deteriorating, and you may faced with where her future lay, she selected not to replenish their contract which have Williams and you will Walker and rather entered the new throw off Bob Cole and J. Rosamonde Johnson’s This new Purple Moonlight (1909) where she try appeared in 2 music wide variety: «Pheobe Brown» and «Pickaninny Weeks,» moving money-and-side on the chorus. She next open on Brand new York’s American Theatre which have a great vaudeville act presenting yet another dancing, brand new «Kara Kara,» otherwise dance l’Afrique. From inside the 1910, she registered brand new Wise Set, a black theatrical company, and you may starred in His Prize the newest Hairdresser (1911).