Ada Overton Walker was given birth to on the Valentines Big date in the 1880 in the The York’s Greenwich Village
As a child she acquired dance classes out-of a Mrs. Thorp in the midtown Manhattan. Doing 1897, once graduating out-of Thorp’s dancing college or university, she toured briefly with Black colored Patti’s Troubadours. A beneficial girlfriend allowed their own in order to model getting a promotion having Bert Williams and you may George Walker, who’d just scored a hit within their vaudeville first during the Koster and you will Bial’s Audio Hallway. She offered to design with the advertisement and you may after that registered new guys so you can dance regarding cakewalk finale. Shortly after signing up for John W. Isham’s Octoroon, an excellent critic for the Indianapolis Freeman announced, “I’d merely seen ideal girl dancer.” Having Grace Halliday she shaped the fresh new aunt dancing act regarding Overton and you may Halliday. They performed since group of Honolulu Belles on the Williams and you will Walkers’ The policy Users (1899), and you can from there, Overton started to make as a beneficial soloist with increased ample jobs.