Cakewalking with Queen Aida

Inspired This is the only children’s book ever written about Aida Overton Walker. Explore the foot shuffling, high kicking, leg marching Cakewalk Dance with the Queen of the Cakewalk: Aida Overton Walker. She started dancing as a child at her local dance studio in New York City and grew up to share her dancing and choreographic talents by touring around America and Europe from the 1890s through 1914. Walker’s performances were described as theatrical, artistic, and refined. Connect with the past, learn some American history, and have fun with Queen Aida and the Cakewalk! The Cakewalk was the first national dance of the United States. The dance started in the southern United States and continued to grow in popularity throughout the East Coast and across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe. When the dance started in the south, the winner of the Cakewalk Contests received a cake. The expression “take the cake” was inspired by this dance. As the dance moved north, winners received cash prizes.