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Birth
Dianne Walker was born in 1951 in Boston, Massachusetts -
Childhood
At the age of 2 years old, she became stricken with the scourge of polio which caused temporary or sometimes permanent paralysis until a vaccine was made in 1955. In order to rebuild her strength she was put into dance classes. She regained her strength and developed a passion for dance. She loved all kinds of dance but tap was her favorite after seeing Bill "bojangles" Robinson on TV. -
Teaching Dance on an Air Force Base
Her father was in the US Air force which forced the family to move to the Southern California desert to live on the Edwards Air Force base. While she was here she taught dance classes on Saturday mornings to younger children until her family moved to the Pacific island of Okinawa. -
College
When she returned to the US she earned an education degree from Boston University and an education master's from Antioch University in Yellow Springs, Ohio. She then married her husband Rodney and they had 2 children. -
Leon Collins
She was about to attend law school,but her life changed when she attended a community event at a Prince Hall Masonic temple and met Willy "Prince" Spencer, an old vaudeville dancer there. He suggested that she take lessons from Leon Collins, a famous tap dancer. She really felt a connection with tap dance.Walker studied with Collins and also with Jimmy Slyde, and through them she met other female dancers. She then began to take over some of Collin's classes. -
Collin's Death
Dianne begin to take over some of Collins classes and attended her first solo debut at a festival located in Rome Italy, On his deathbed Collins had expressed his appreciation for Walker, asking her to "dance for him." Upon Collins death Walker made a magnificent debut before an audience of 2000 people. Walker along with another student of Collins had soon taken over his studio. -
Black and Blue
She appeared in both Paris and Broadway productions of Black and Blue and was a featured shim-sham dancer in Tap. In the Broadway version of Black and Blue she served as assistant choreographer and dance captain. She frequently toured jazz clubs and festivals starting in the 1990's. -
Savion Glover
Savion Glover was Walker's co star in both Black and Blue and Tap. He was 11 years old and appearing on Sesame Street. Walker was becoming his mentor.Glover often called her aunt Dianne, but with a more frequently used nickname in which expressed her elegance, she soon became "Lady Di." -
Teaching
She left Collins studio and became a full-time teacher on her own. She held guest teaching positions at numerous prestigious colleges and universities. She turned her attention to expanding tap dance. She served on the board of the Massachusetts Cultural Council and participated in the Dance USA Task Force on Dance Education. -
Achievements
She became the youngest dancer as well as first woman to receive the living treasure and American dance award from Oklahoma city University. -
Achievements
She received the Savion Glover award -
Achievements
She received a flo-Bert award -
Achievements
She received the Hoofers award, an award in memory of Gregory Hines, and was presented with the humanitarian award. -
Achievements
She received a lifetime achievement recognition