Because a young child she obtained moving tuition from an effective Mrs. Thorp when you look at the midtown New york. Upoznajte Paragvajski Еѕene As much as 1897, shortly after graduating from Thorp’s dance university, she toured temporarily which have Black Patti’s Troubadours. A girlfriend enjoy this lady so you’re able to model getting a marketing that have Bert Williams and George Walker, who’d just scored a bump inside their vaudeville introduction during the Koster and you can Bial’s Musical Hallway. She provided to design towards the advertisement and you can after that entered the guys so you’re able to dance throughout the cakewalk finale. Just after joining John W. Isham’s Octoroon, an excellent critic into the Indianapolis Freeman announced, «I experienced simply noticed a woman performer.» Having Grace Halliday she formed the fresh new sister moving act regarding Overton and you will Halliday. They performed just like the collection of Honolulu Belles on the Williams and you will Walkers’ The insurance policy Professionals (1899), and you will from there, Overton started to make since the a good soloist with additional ample spots. On the music funny The fresh new Sons out-of Ham (1900) she sang and you can danced «Miss Hannah out of Savannah» and you can «Best Women»; and in the 2nd edition, «Society» and «Gleaming Ruby» which delivered the girl jubilant acclaim. Tom Fletcher remembered the lady since the a singer whom did ragtime sounds and you will ballads just as well; and as a dancer «exactly who you will definitely do every little thing, and no count if it are dollar-and-side, cakewalk, or even some form of grotesque dancing . . . she borrowed the brand new show a neat gracefulness of motion unsurpassed because of the anyone» (Fletcher 1954).
James Weldon Johnson blogged one she «got a reduced-pitched voice that have an organic sob in order to it, and that she understood ways to use which have advising impression in the putting over a track» (Johnson 1933)
On June 22, 1899, after the closure regarding A happy Coon, the newest ragtime tunes explained by the Ann Charters since «a good hodge-podge of the things throughout the ‘coon’ line out of dollar-dancing and ragtime tunes so you’re able to options regarding grand opera,» Overton married George Walker; their union perform change and you can intensify new cakewalk of a core African-American group dance for the a black modernist phrase, a leading artwork well worth being performed just before royalty, towards the light elite group, and on the concert stage.
You to nights if you’re onstage, George Walker, to experience the newest role away from Bud Jenkins, became ill
Williams and you will Walker’s Dahomey (1903) is among the first black colored musicals to locate this new cakewalk’s sales. Inside it, Aida (she altered the new spelling out of the woman name away from Ada in order to Aida, the name of the Haitian lwa regarding fertility) played Rosetta Lightfoot with a presented solo, «I would like to Be a genuine Females,» together with «Cakewalk Finale,» partnered by the the lady partner. «The brand new range, the newest elegance, this new assured euphoria of these performers, whom curved more backward up until the heads nearly handled a floor, a feat requiring an unbelievable level of electricity, the enthusiastic prancing, almost inside the slow motion, have-not already been equaled in this particular revel, let alone surpassed,» composed Carl Van Vechten (Van Vechten 1974). Dahomey is actually brought to London, in which it absolutely was displayed at the a demand overall performance before Queen Edward VII at Buckingham Castle. United kingdom high-society observed the newest Royal Family unit members with an excellent pouring warmth having cakewalking. The firm returned to Ny with a new types of the new music entitled In Dahomey, and therefore started during the Grand Opera (1904).
When you look at the Williams and you can Walker’s second show, Abyssinia (1906), Overton Walker is both a dancer plus the show’s choreographer. She is actually 2nd checked in and you will staged brand new musical numbers having Bandanna Property (1908). Their attacks was after recognized due to the fact syphilis. Within the 1909 the guy leftover the newest reveal, along with his character was rewritten to have Overton Walker, which donned his showy clothes and performed their amounts, in addition to their significant tune, «Bon bon Buddie.» Together with her husband’s position reduced extracting, and you may facing where this lady upcoming put, she chosen not to ever replenish the girl contract with Williams and you will Walker and instead joined this new throw of Bob Cole and J. Rosamonde Johnson’s The Yellow Moon (1909) in which she was seemed in 2 musical amounts: «Pheobe Brown» and you will «Pickaninny Weeks,» dance dollar-and-wing towards the chorus. She next established in the Brand new York’s American Theater having a great vaudeville operate presenting an alternative moving, this new «Kara Kara,» otherwise moving l’Afrique. Inside 1910, she inserted the fresh Smart Place, a black colored theatrical team, and starred in Their Prize the new Hairdresser (1911).