Ada Overton Walker was born to the Valentines Day during the 1880 for the The fresh new York’s Greenwich Town
Because a child she received dancing instruction regarding a good Mrs. Thorp into the midtown Manhattan. Doing 1897, immediately after graduating from Thorp’s moving university, she toured briefly which have Black colored Patti’s Troubadours. An excellent girlfriend allowed her to help you design to have an advertising which have Bert Williams and you will George Walker, who’d simply obtained a bump in their vaudeville introduction during the Koster and you can Bial’s Songs Hallway. She agreed to design to your offer and you may subsequently entered the newest guys in order to dancing in the cakewalk finale. Just after signing up for John W. Isham’s Octoroon, an effective critic for the Indianapolis Freeman declared, „I experienced just observed ideal girl dancer.” With Grace Halliday Laostian naiset avioliittoon she shaped the fresh sister dance operate regarding Overton and you may Halliday. They did as set of Honolulu Belles about Williams and Walkers’ The policy Players (1899), and you can after that, Overton started initially to produce as a great soloist with an increase of nice roles. On music comedy New Sons out-of Ham (1900) she carried out and you will danced „Miss Hannah out-of Savannah” and you will „Leading Woman”; and in their 2nd release, „Society” and „Sparkling Ruby” and therefore lead their particular jubilant recognition. James Weldon Johnson authored one she „got a reduced-pitched voice having a natural sob so you’re able to they, and this she know how to use having advising feeling when you look at the getting more a song” (Johnson 1933). Tom Fletcher remembered their unique as a musician which did ragtime musical and you may ballads as well; and also as a performer „exactly who you can expect to carry out every little thing, without amount if it is money-and-side, cakewalk, if you don’t some sort of grotesque dance . . . she borrowed the fresh show a nice gracefulness of movement unsurpassed of the anyone” (Fletcher 1954).
During the 1910, she registered the fresh new Smart Set, a black colored theatrical company, and you can starred in His Award the brand new Barber (1911)
Towards the Summer twenty-two, 1899, following closure regarding A fortunate Coon, the ragtime audio discussed by Ann Charters since the „a good hodge-podge of everything in the ‘coon’ line from money-moving and you may ragtime tunes to help you choices in the huge opera,” Overton partnered George Walker; their union do alter and you can escalate the cakewalk regarding a center African-American men dance towards a black colored modernist term, a top artwork value getting performed in advance of royalty, to your light professional, as well as on the brand new performance stage.
You to definitely evening when you find yourself onstage, George Walker, to experience the role of Bud Jenkins, turned into unwell
Williams and you may Walker’s Dahomey (1903) try among the first black colored musicals to find this new cakewalk’s conversion process. Inside it, Aida (she altered new spelling out of her title regarding Ada in order to Aida, title of Haitian lwa out-of fertility) starred Rosetta Lightfoot that have a highlighted unicamente, „I do want to End up being a real Lady,” and also the „Cakewalk Finale,” partnered by their husband. „The brand new line, the new sophistication, the brand new in hopes euphoria ones dancers, just who curved more than backward until their heads almost handled a floor, a task demanding an unbelievable number of fuel, their eager prancing, nearly in slow-motion, haven’t become equaled in this particular revel, aside from exceeded,” penned Carl Van Vechten (Van Vechten 1974). Dahomey try taken to London area, where it actually was displayed from the a demand abilities ahead of King Edward VII at Buckingham Castle. Uk high society implemented the new Regal Household members having an excellent gushing passion for cakewalking. The organization gone back to New york with a brand new brand of brand new musical entitled During the Dahomey, and that established on Huge Opera (1904).
Inside Williams and Walker’s second tell you, Abyssinia (1906), Overton Walker is actually both a dancer and the show’s choreographer. She was next searched for the and you can staged the fresh new songs wide variety getting Bandanna Belongings (1908). Their symptoms was basically after diagnosed as the syphilis. During the 1909 the guy remaining new show, and his role is actually rewritten for Overton Walker, just who donned their fancy outfits and performed their wide variety, along with their biggest tune, „Bon bon Buddie.” Along with her partner’s standing much slower deteriorating, and facing where their particular future set, she picked never to replace their offer that have Williams and you may Walker and you may instead joined the latest throw away from Bob Cole and you will J. Rosamonde Johnson’s The brand new Red Moon (1909) in which she is actually looked in two tunes number: „Pheobe Brown” and you can „Pickaninny Weeks,” moving buck-and-wing towards chorus. She next unsealed at the Brand new York’s Western Theater which have good vaudeville work featuring an alternate dance, the latest „Kara Kara,” otherwise dance l’Afrique.