Ada Overton Walker
| Aida Overton Walker | |
|---|---|
Walker in 1907
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| Born |
February 14, 1880 Richmond, Virginia |
| Died | October 11, 1914 (aged 34) New York, NY |
| Occupation | Vaudeville |
| Known for | Dancing and Choreographing (Performing) |
Aida Overton Walker (14 February 1880 – 11 October 1914), also billed as Ada Overton Walker and as "The Queen of the Cakewalk", was an African-American vaudeville performer, actress, singer, dancer, choreographer, and wife of vaudevillian George Walker. She appeared with her husband and his performing partner Bert Williams, and in groups such as Black Patti's Troubadours. She was also a solo dancer and choreographer for vaudeville shows such as Bob Cole, Joe Jordan, and J. Rosamond Johnson's The Red Moon (1908) and S. H. Dudley's His Honor the Barber (1911). Aida Overton Walker is also well known for her 1912 performance of the “Salome” dance at Hammerstein’s Victoria Theatre. This was Aida’s response to the national “Salamania” craze of 1907 that spread through the white vaudeville circuit.
Overton grew up in New York City, where her family moved when she was young and where she gained an education and considerable musical training.
At 15, she joined John Isham’s Octoroons Black touring group, in the 1890’s. The following years he started her career as a chorus member in “Black Patti’s Troubadours,” where she met her husband. Her early career was defined by her collaborations with Bert Williams and her husband George Walker, the major black vaudeville and musical comedy powerhouses of the era. She and George Walker married within a year of meeting. She first gained national attention in 1900, with her performance of “Miss Hannah from Savannah” in the show Sons of Ham. For the next ten years, Aida would be known primarily for her work in musical theater. Her song and dance made her an instant hit with audiences at the time. She, George, and Bert continued to produce even more successful shows such as In Dahomey (1902), Abyssinia (1906), and Bandana Land (1908). In 1904, after two seasons in England, the group returned to New York. In England, she taught the cakewalk to elite and white society. She was the highest paid and most popular female actress, singer, and dancers of the Williams and Walker Company. Because of her unexpected take on Salome, critical reviews were mixed.
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