ENTERTAINMENT • EDUCATION • INSPIRATION

Aida Overton Walker

1880 – 1914

Dancer / Choreographer / Singer

One of the first Black choreographers on the American stage.  Among the first international

Black stars, she toured Europe with Bert Williams and her husband, George Walker, in the hit

musicals they wrote and produced. Following George Walker’s illness and death, in 1911, she

kept working, frequently in drag, performing her husband’s numbers in tribute.  Carl Van Vechten

wrote rapturously about Walker’s cakewalk dancing. Reviewers were equally impressed with her

“Salome.” A breathtaking beauty, she died young, age 34, from kidney failure.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *