Just like the a baby she acquired dancing tuition away from a great Mrs. Thorp from inside the midtown New york. Doing 1897, immediately after graduating regarding Thorp’s dance college, she toured briefly that have Black Patti’s Troubadours. A beneficial girlfriend invited their so you can model to possess a publicity that have Bert Williams and you will George Walker, that kissbrides.com sivusto siellГ¤ has just obtained a bump in their vaudeville debut from the Koster and Bial’s Sounds Hallway. She wanted to design towards the offer and you will after that joined the new dudes so you can moving regarding the cakewalk finale. Immediately after joining John W. Isham’s Octoroon, a critic toward Indianapolis Freeman stated, “I experienced just seen top girl dancer.” Having Grace Halliday she designed brand new sis dancing operate out of Overton and you will Halliday. They performed due to the fact group of Honolulu Belles from the Williams and Walkers’ The policy Users (1899), and you will from that point, Overton began to build because the a soloist with more reasonable positions. About tunes funny This new Sons regarding Ham (1900) she sang and you will danced “Miss Hannah out-of Savannah” and “Top Woman”; plus its second release, “Society” and you may “Sparkling Ruby” and therefore lead their unique jubilant acclaim. James Weldon Johnson blogged you to she “got a decreased-pitched sound which have a natural sob so you’re able to they, and therefore she knew how to use that have informing effect into the getting more a song” (Johnson 1933). Tom Fletcher recalled their particular because the an artist just who did ragtime sounds and you can ballads just as well; so when a dancer “whom you’ll perform almost anything, no matter in the event it is dollar-and-side, cakewalk, if you don’t some form of grotesque dancing . . .