Madeline Belt

Baby faced and petite, Madeline Belt was a well-known dancer in Broadway shows, floor shows at such places as the Cotton Club, the Apollo Theatre and the West End Theater, all in Harlem, and on the vaudeville circuit from about 1922 to the late 1940s. Her mother's second husband was the famous band leader James Reese Europe. Madeline was a native of Baltimore, and grew up in Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Harlem before going on the stage. She appeared in many shows including "Plantation Days" (1925) with Florence Mills and "Hot Rhythm" (1930) with her second husband, tap dancer Eddie Rector as master of ceremonies and a cast including comedian Pigmeat Markham with songs by Porter Grainger and Eubie Blake.