Salome's Dance (1908 Overton Walker), solo dance

Aida Overton Walker as Salome

Aida Overton Walker as Salome

The Vision of Salome (1908) is a vaudeville ballet by Aida Overton Walker (chor.).

Abstract

Aida Overton Walker contributed to the "Salomania" of those years with her solo performance of the “Salome” dance, which she introduced in the Broadway show Bandana Land on August 27, 1908. As an African-American dancer she was well aware of how the roles she played affected race relations of the time. Her portrayal of the Salome character was very different from that of the other dancers and actresses of her time. She worked hard to break the stereotypes of black women as immoral and oversexed. She downplayed the erotic aspects of the Salome dance. Instead, Walker chose to emphasize the dramatic elements of the performance, coordinating her movements and expressions in order to convey the internal thoughts and emotions of the Salome character. The result was a dignified, sympathetic Salome and a technically innovative dance that “transformed the role of a highly sexualized dancer . . . into a dramatic achievement”. Aida's performance was so successful that she was asked to perform it again, in 1912 at Hammerstein's Victoria Theatre.

Original cast

• Aida Overton Walker = Salome (dance)

Editions, performances

Premiered in New York, NY: Majestic Theatre, 27 August 1908.