While the a young child she acquired moving instruction off a great Mrs. Thorp when you look at the midtown Manhattan. Up to 1897, just after graduating regarding Thorp’s moving school, she toured temporarily having Black colored Patti’s Troubadours. A girlfriend allowed the lady so you can model for a marketing with Bert Williams and you may George Walker, who’d simply obtained a hit within their vaudeville debut at Koster and you will Bial’s Tunes Hallway. She agreed to design towards the offer and next entered the fresh males to dance regarding the cakewalk finale. Immediately after joining John W. Isham’s Octoroon, a beneficial critic for the Indianapolis Freeman stated, “I got merely observed the very best girl dancer.” With Sophistication Halliday she formed the fresh cousin dance act out of Overton and you can Halliday. It did due to the fact collection of Honolulu Belles throughout the Williams and you will Walkers’ The policy Players (1899), and you can from that point, Overton began to make because the an excellent soloist with increased big roles. Regarding the musical funny Brand new Sons of Ham (1900) she performed and you may danced “Miss Hannah from Savannah” and you can “Top Lady”; along with the second edition, “Society” and you will “Sparkling Ruby” and that put her jubilant acclaim. Tom Fletcher recalled the woman because a singer whom did ragtime musical and you may ballads equally well; and as a dancer “which you’ll create everything, with no amount if it was dollar-and-side, cakewalk, or even some sort of grotesque dance . . . she lent the brand new overall performance a neat gracefulness of movement unsurpassed because of the anyone” (Fletcher 1954).
James Weldon Johnson authored that she “had a low-pitched voice with a natural sob so you’re able to it, and therefore she understood the way you use that have informing perception for the getting more a song” (Johnson 1933)
Into the June 22, 1899, following the closing away from A happy Coon, brand new ragtime music explained of the Ann Charters just like the “good hodge-podge of all things about ‘coon’ range regarding dollar-dancing and you can ragtime tunes so you can options on grand opera,” Overton partnered George Walker; its commitment do changes and you may elevate the brand new cakewalk out-of a key African-Western men and women moving into the a black colored modernist expression, a premier ways well worth becoming performed prior to royalty, on white elite group, and on the latest performance stage.
You to definitely evening whenever you are onstage, George Walker, to experience this new part away from Bud Jenkins, turned into unwell
Williams and you will Walker’s Dahomey (1903) try one of the first black colored musicals to locate the cakewalk’s conversion process. Involved, Aida (she changed new spelling off the woman name away from Ada to help you Aida, the name of the Haitian lwa off fertility) starred Rosetta Lightfoot with a presented solo, “I wish to End up being a real Females,” plus the “Cakewalk Finale,” married by the the girl spouse. “This new range, the fresh new grace, the newest in hopes ecstasy of them dancers, exactly who bent more backwards up until its minds nearly handled the floor, a feat demanding an incredible level of strength, their enthusiastic prancing, nearly within the slow motion, haven’t become equaled in this revel, not to mention surpassed,” typed Carl Van Vechten (Van Vechten 1974). Dahomey try taken to London, in which it had been shown at the a demand abilities ahead of Queen Edward VII during the Buckingham Castle. United kingdom high society followed the brand new Regal Members of the family that have a pouring warmth having cakewalking. The business gone back to New york with a brand new kind of the fresh music entitled In Dahomey, which started at the Grand Opera (1904).
In the Williams and Walker’s next tell you, Abyssinia (1906), Overton Walker are one another a performer as well as the show’s choreographer. She try 2nd checked within the and you will staged the newest music number to have Bandanna Home (1908). His episodes have been charmdate mobile afterwards recognized once the syphilis. For the 1909 he leftover the latest reveal, along with his part are rewritten to have Overton Walker, exactly who donned his fancy gowns and sang their wide variety, together with their big tune, “Bon bon Buddie.” Together husband’s status slowly deteriorating, and up against where the woman future put, she picked not to ever renew her offer with Williams and you may Walker and you may instead entered the newest cast out of Bob Cole and J. Rosamonde Johnson’s The brand new Red-colored Moon (1909) where she was appeared in two tunes number: “Pheobe Brownish” and you will “Pickaninny Months,” dancing money-and-side for the chorus. She second unsealed at This new York’s Western Theatre which have a vaudeville act featuring an alternative dance, the latest “Kara Kara,” or dance l’Afrique. In the 1910, she entered new Smart Put, a black theatrical team, and you may starred in Their Prize the fresh new Barber (1911).