Dianne Walker facts for kids

Dianne Walker (born March 8, 1951), also known as Lady Di, is an American tap dancer. She has been a professional dancer for over thirty years. Her career includes performing on Broadway, in movies, on TV, and in dance shows around the world. Dianne Walker is currently the artistic director of TapDancin, Inc. in Boston, Massachusetts.

Dianne Walker's Amazing Tap Dance Journey

Dianne Walker started her dance training in Boston with Mildred Kennedy-Bradic. She later learned from other great dancers like Leon Collins and Jimmy Slyde. In 1979, she began her professional dance career. She performed with a group called Collins & Company. She also became one of the directors at the Leon Collins Dance Studio in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Becoming a Tap Dance Pioneer

Many people see Dianne Walker as a leader in bringing tap dancing back into the spotlight. The Boston Herald newspaper even called her "America's First Lady of Tap." Famous tap dancer Savion Glover and his friends call her "Aunt Dianne." This shows how much they respect her as a mentor, teacher, and trusted friend.

Performing on Stage and Screen

Dianne Walker often performs in jazz clubs and at festivals across the United States. She had a memorable show at the Rainbow Room in New York City with Ruth Brown and other jazz legends. She has also performed at big jazz festivals like North Sea in The Hague and the Montreal Jazz Festival with Gregory Hines.

Dianne was a featured dancer in the musical Black and Blue. This show was first in Paris and then ran for two years on Broadway. She was also in the PBS TV version of Black and Blue, directed by Robert Altman. She was the only woman to dance in the famous "Hoofers Line." This line included legendary male tap dancers like Jimmy Slyde, Chuck Green, and Savion Glover.

While on Broadway, she performed a soft shoe dance called "Memories of You." This dance was choreographed by Cholly Atkins. She also helped create dances for the show and was the dance captain. She recreated the dances for a European tour of Black and Blue. Dianne also toured in "Fascinating Rhythms" with Jimmy Slyde and Savion Glover. She has performed at the Smithsonian to honor artists like Cholly Atkins and Jeni Le Gon. She also gave a special talk and performance about "Women in Tap." She toured for a year with Savion Glover's "Footnotes" show.

Dianne Walker in Movies and Documentaries

You can see Dianne Walker in the movie Tap. This film starred Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis Jr.. She was also in "Tap Dance in America" on PBS Great Performances. She appeared in documentaries like Honi Coles: The Class Act of Tap and Songs Unwritten...Leon Collins. Most recently, she was a main speaker in the PBS documentary JUBA.

Teaching and Leadership in Dance

Ms. Walker has a master's degree in education. She has taught at many colleges, including Harvard, Williams College, the University of Michigan, and UCLA. She has received important grants to support her work. She helped guide dance education and even judged a world tap dance competition in Germany in 1997. She helps lead many tap dance groups. The governor of Massachusetts chose her to be on an important arts council in Massachusetts. She has been on this council since 1996.

Dianne always remembers the many tap legends who helped her. These include Honi Coles, Cholly Atkins, Eddie Brown, the Nicholas Brothers, Peg Leg Bates, Gregory Hines, and many others. When Leon Collins passed away in 1985, Dianne continued to be a director of his dance school until 1995.

Awards and Recognition

Dianne Walker has received many awards for her contributions to tap dance.

In 1997, she received the Tapestry Award in Boston. This award recognized her excellent teaching skills. In 1998, she became the youngest dancer and the first woman to receive the Living Treasure in American Dance Award from Oklahoma City University. This award celebrates her lasting impact on American dance.

In 2000, she received the "Savion Glover Award for Keeping the Beat Alive" in St. Louis, Missouri. In 2003, she was given a Flo-Bert Award. This award is presented by the New York Committee To Celebrate National Tap Dance Day. It honored her lifetime achievements in tap dancing.

In 2006, Dianne's lifetime achievements were celebrated at a luncheon in Flint, Michigan. In 2005, she received another lifetime achievement award called Rhythm Bound. In 2004, Walker received the Hoofers Award from Tap City NYC. She also received an award in Los Angeles in memory of Gregory Hines. That same year, she was given The Humanitarian Award from Jason Samuels Smith of the Debbie Allen Dance Academy.