Napoleon and Tabitha D'umo
Encyclopedia
Tabitha A. D'umo and Napoleon Buddy D'umo (born October 17, 1968), known together as Nappytabs, are Emmy Award
winning married choreographers who are often credited with developing the new style of hip-hop dance known as lyrical hip-hop. They have been working together in the dance industry since 1996 and are best known for their choreography on the TV show So You Think You Can Dance
. Since being with the show, their choreography has received both positive and negative criticism. In addition to So You Think You Can Dance, Tabitha and Napoleon own Nappytabs urban dancewear and are supervising choreographers on MTV
's America's Best Dance Crew
.
Tabitha and Napoleon grew up on opposite coasts of the United States and met in the early 1990s as students at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
. They began their dance career together while still in college choreographing industrial musicals for large corporations with the hip-hop dance company Culture Shock. They were married in 1998 and continued to work in Las Vegas but eventually decided to move to Los Angeles to expand their opportunities. After moving in 1999, they started teaching hip-hop dance at the Edge Performing Arts Center in North Hollywood and found extra work choreographing for professional sports dance teams and back-up dancing for musical artists. In 2003, they joined the faculty of Monsters of Hip Hop dance convention.
Their work was introduced to mainstream audiences in 2008 when they became supervising choreographers on America's Best Dance Crew and resident choreographers on So You Think You Can Dance. It was on the later show that their lyrical hip-hop style gained exposure. The pair's career progressed to providing creative direction for tours and live events, where they worked with Christina Aguilera
, Ricky Martin
, Celine Dion
, Kayne West, and Jennifer Lopez
. They continued to develop their dancewear line by breaking out of its previously online-only presence and opening a physical store location in 2010.
From television and concerts, their move into theater occurred gradually. They had a modest start in Las Vegas and later in Los Angeles with Monsters of Hip Hop: The Show. In 2010, they directed the JabbaWockeeZ
's MÜS.I.C. stage show and began to work with several productions of Cirque Du Soleil
. They choreographed Cirque Du Soleil's Viva ELVIS
show and were contributing choreographers for Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour
. They also choreographed three Cirque guest performances: Viva ELVIS on Dancing with the Stars, LOVE
on the NHL Awards, and Kà
on America's Got Talent
. In 2011, they continued to establish themselves in television as choreographers for the flash-mob themed reality show MOBBED
. Aside from their choreography, creative direction, and dancewear line, Tabitha and Napoleon have been involved with charity work for organizations that support the arts. They continue to teach hip-hop classes at both dance studios and on the convention circuit.
, he learned b-boying
, locking
, and popping
by traveling to Los Angeles
and frequenting the b-boy scene; he was eventually cast as an extra in the movie Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo
in 1984. After Napoleon graduated from Apple Valley High School
, he joined the army and worked as a surgeon's assistant while stationed in Germany
. Once discharged, he attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) where he majored in molecular biology
. In college, Napoleon started taking jazz
and modern
dance classes. He eventually received a full scholarship as a member of the university's dance team.
Tabitha was born September 11, 1973 and grew up as an only child in Galloway, New Jersey
. Her mother, Cynthia Cortopassi, enrolled her in jazz dance
classes when she was young. As there were no hip-hop classes, Tabitha learned by watching music videos and participating in her school's cheer and dance teams. She cites Michael Jackson
, Janet Jackson
, and Paula Abdul
as influences. After Tabitha graduated from Absegami High School
, she moved out west in 1991 to attend UNLV where she majored in communications and started taking formal hip-hop dance classes. It was there that she met her husband Napoleon.
Tabitha and Napoleon started dating in 1994 but their professional partnership and dance career did not start until 1996 when they began teaching hip-hop classes together at the Las Vegas Athletic Club. Since the beginning of their career they have always worked together including their first choreography job and the first dance class they taught. It is very rare for them to work apart.
before the JabbaWockeeZ became a crew. In addition to going to school and being a part of Culture Shock, they both maintained part time jobs. Napoleon worked as a personal trainer during college while Tabitha worked at the Rio Hotel and Casino
. During their time with Culture Shock, they choreographed a variety of industrial musical
s for casino
s and corporations such as Nike
, Levi
, Redken, Matrix Hair, and MAC
. They stayed with the company and eventually worked their way up from dancers to become artistic directors. As their college graduation was approaching, although Tabitha was planning to take a job in public relations
and Napoleon was planning to attend medical school
, they both decided to change their plans and pursue a career in the dance industry.
Tabitha and Napoleon were married April 19, 1998. In 1999, they moved to Los Angeles
to expand their opportunities. Upon arriving in L.A. they taught hip-hop classes at the Edge Performing Arts Center in Hollywood. They found extra work as back-up dancers for Beyonce, Toni Braxton
, Missy Elliot, Monica, Destiny's Child
, Timbaland
, and Sisqó
. Their move from dancing into choreography occurred gradually. Jobs included choreographing performances for NFL and NBA dance teams including the Dallas Cowboys
, Denver Broncos
, Chicago Bulls
, and Orlando Magic
, as well as choreographing a dance scene for the movie Legally Blonde
. In 2003, Napoleon started teaching classes with Monsters of Hip Hop dance convention. He was later joined by his wife Tabitha and they are now permanent faculty members. In addition to Monsters of Hip Hop, they still teach classes at The Edge Performing Arts Center.
like symbol with an "n" and a "t" overlapping in the middle. The word itself—Nappytabs—is a combination of Napoleon (Nappy) and Tabitha's (Tab) nickname
s.
Although Tabitha and Napoleon began creative directing after they moved to California, their first directing job brought them back to Nevada
. They directed the "Steve Wyrick: Real Magic" show at the Aladdin Resort & Casino
in Las Vegas. In 2006, they served as assistant directors for Christina Aguilera
’s Back to Basics Tour
. In 2007, they were also assistant directors for Ricky Martin
’s Black and White Tour. Both tours were directed by Jamie King
who is known primarily for his work with Madonna
.
Tabitha was the host/instructor of an exercise DVD
by Prevention Fitness Systems titled Drop it with Dance.
The video is split into six 10-minute routines that gradually increase in difficulty; movements from all six routines are combined in the finale "Showtime" segment. She also appeared in Rock Your Body, a dance/fitness DVD hosted by Jamie King
.
(ABDC) since season one in 2008. They are responsible for choreographing group routines, coming up with dance challenges, and assisting the crews as needed with polishing their performances. Every year Napoleon serves as a talent scout for the show traveling to different cities to see dance crews audition.
Also in 2008, the couple took on hosting duties for Rock the Reception
on TLC
. On the show, they created wedding dances for engaged couples and their wedding party to perform for the guests at the reception. The participants were real life couples with no dance experience. The show premiered on July 15, 2008. A day before the premiere, Tabitha and Napoleon appeared on ABC
's The View in order to promote it. In addition to ABDC and Rock the Reception, they joined the choreography and judging team on Fox
's So You Think You Can Dance
(SYTYCD). It was on this show that their lyrical hip-hop style gained mainstream exposure. Lyrical hip-hop is a fluid and more interpretive version of standard hip-hop most often danced to downtempo rap music or R&B music. The term itself was coined by choreographer and producer Adam Shankman
in reference to a routine choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon to Leona Lewis
' "Bleeding Love
".
"Bleeding Love" was nominated for a 2009 Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography. After the season ended, Tabitha and Napoleon went on to direct the So You Think You Can Dance Tour. They continued creative directing several other concerts throughout the remainder of the year. They were assistant directors for Kanye West
’s Glow in the Dark Tour
. They teamed up with Jamie King again and served as assistant directors for Celine Dion
's Taking Chances Tour
. They directed Monsters of Hip Hop: The Show at El Portal Theater in Los Angeles, and America's Best Dance Crew Live which featured dance crews JabbaWockeeZ
, Super Cr3w
, Fanny Pak
, ASIID, and Breaksk8. Yahoo!
gave the concert positive reviews citing that the five crews represented a good mix of styles and the concert brought the best parts of the show to the stage. In November 2008, Tabitha and Napoleon made the cover of Dance Teacher magazine. Dance Teacher wrote "The solidarity they share translates not only to their marriage of 10 years, but also to their work as two of today’s most renowned choreographers and instructors."
In January 2009, the Nappytabs dancewear website launched which began the start of online clothing sales. Prior to this, their line was sold exclusively at selected regional dancewear outlets and major dance conventions. Their dancewear website also serves as Tabitha and Napoleon's official website with news updates about different projects they're working on. The site is designed and maintained by Ryan Cyphert's 3nine Design media company; Cyphert is also a professional dancer and fellow faculty member with Tabitha and Napoleon at Shock the Intensive dance convention.
In April, Tabitha and Napoleon choreographed two couples' routines and a group routine for the second season of So You Think You Can Dance Australia
. The "Arab Money
" hip-hop routine that they choreographed received positive reviews from the judges but their "Dead and Gone
" lyrical hip-hop routine which was performed later on the same episode received the most praise. Bonnie Lythgoe
called it the "top routine of the night". Jason Coleman added "the choreography [was] absolutely spectacular" and Matt Lee went on to say that it was "...probably the best routine in the series." While in Australia, Tabitha and Napoleon were judges at the 2009 Australian Hip Hop Championships in Sydney
with native Australian b-boy Don and fellow Monsters faculty member Jillian Meyers. Other guest appearances included teaching at Project 818 in Moscow
, Russia
and speaking on the Choreography Media Honors panel at Dance Camera West film festival.
In September, Tabitha and Napoleon choreographed the opening dance sequence on the season seven premiere of The Ellen DeGeneres Show
. The routine featured both DeGeneres and the top 10 dancers from season five
of So You Think You Can Dance. They went on to direct the succeeding So You Think You Can Dance Tour.
Tabitha and Napoleon choreographed for several television specials later in the year. The first of which was Sean Kingston
's "Fire Burning
" performance at the Teen Choice Awards
. At the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards
, they choreographed a routine honoring dance that featured alumni from So You Think You Can Dance, America's Best Dance Crew, and Dancing With the Stars. Dancers included Karina Smirnoff
and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
, from Dancing With The Stars; Katee Shean, Mark Kanemura, and Joshua Allen
, from So You Think You Can Dance; and four members of Quest Crew
—the winners of season three of America's Best Dance Crew. They finished the year with choreography for Carrie Underwood
's All-Star Holiday Special, and Jennifer Lopez
' performances at the American Music Awards
and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest.
hotel in Las Vegas. They also choreographed a Viva ELVIS guest appearance on Dancing with the Stars
which Dance Spirit magazine called "fun" and "energetic". On SYTYCD they choreographed routines for the contestants as well as a guest performance for the cast of Cirque du Soleil's Beatles LOVE
. They worked with LOVE again at the NHL awards and with their sister Cirque production Kà
for a guest performance on America's Got Talent
.
Aside from choreography, Tabitha and Napoleon continued to develop and expand their dancewear line. In May, they opened the Nappytabs store and dance studio in the North Hollywood Arts District. Although they design their own clothing, they commissioned some print and t-shirt designs from Alex Lodermeier who has also designed for Propr, a clothing line owned by Ben Harper
, David Arquette
, and David Bedwell. Through Nappytabs, they also started sponsoring The Pulse on Tour dance convention and the Industry Voice online newsletter. Their clothing appears in independent R&B
singer John Gillette's music video for his song "All Bad". Tabitha was a featured dancer in the video and Napoleon made a cameo appearance
at the end.
Also in May the JabbaWockeeZ' MÜS.I.C. (muse-i-see) stage show, which Tabitha and Napoleon directed, opened at the MGM Grand Las Vegas
. MÜS.I.C. is the first hip-hop dance stage show on the Las Vegas Strip
. The original music for the show was produced by DJ
collective The Bangerz and their costumes were designed by Kara Saun
. The show was 90 minutes long involving dancing, comedy, and magic. The premiere included four members from Super Cr3w
on stage masked as the JabbaWockeeZ. Although scheduled to end in June, the show was later extended through August. In October, MÜS.I.C became a permanent headliner at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino
. At the Monte Carlo premiere, the JabbaWockeeZ brought Tabitha on stage for a cameo appearance. Later in the year, Tabitha and Napoleon appeared as guest choreographers on Everybody Can Dance! / Танцюють всі!, the Ukrainian version of SYTYCD. They also appeared in the independent dance documentary Move. The film is about dance as an art form and how notable choreographers were able to go from dancing as a hobby to dancing as a career.
In February 2011, Tabitha and Napoleon made their music video directorial debut with the song "All These Boys" by Jasmine Villegas
. In addition to directing the video, they also served as choreographers. In the Spring, they returned to working in television with two projects. At the invitation of Nigel Lythgoe
, they joined the production crew on the tenth season
of American Idol
as staging
and movement coaches. Lythgoe is the executive producer for both American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance. They also choreographed the Howie Mandel
produced television show MOBBED
which premiered after American Idol on March 31, 2011. The pilot episode was actually shot in September 2010 but after drawing 10.8 million views it was picked up as a series. In April, they started work on the film COBU 3D starring Derek Hough
and Korean pop singer BoA
. Due to scheduling conflicts with the production of the film, they did not return to America's Best Dance Crew as supervising choreographers for season six
. After filming was complete, they did return to Cirque Du Soleil as two of ten choreographers for Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour
.
, lyrical hip-hop, and pop-jazz routines. With Cirque Du Soleil, their work has been a combination of jazz dance and acro
. In general, their choreography is "...largely centered on storytelling and physical comedy" but the style they are most known for is lyrical hip-hop.
Lyrical dance is a studio based dance style that uses a combination of classical dance techniques from jazz and ballet to tell a story through movement. With jazz and ballet, technique alone can provide a good performance but in lyrical dance expressing emotion is emphasized just as much as technique. Hip-hop is an urban dance style that is characterized as hard-hitting involving isolations—moving certain body parts independently from others—and musicality, the body's sensitivity to changes in music. Hip-hop can incorporate movement from its sub-styles locking
, breaking
, popping
, and boogaloo to add a different movement quality but conveying emotion does not have to be present as the dance is more about swagger, bravado, and/or having fun. Lyrical hip-hop combines the nuances of lyrical dance with the vocabulary and foundational movements found in hip-hop. In lyrical dance there is a name for every dance step. Examples include pirouette (turn), chassé
(a type of shuffle across the floor), jeté (leap), and pointe work (pointed toes). In hip-hop and in lyrical hip-hop there is not a name for every dance step and the previously mentioned dance moves, although standard in lyrical dance, are not common or standard in lyrical hip-hop. In lyrical hip-hop there are still isolations, gliding
, and body waves just like in standard hip-hop but the movements are smoother and more fluid rather than hard-hitting and, like lyrical dance, emphasis is placed on storytelling and conveying emotion through the choreography. Tabitha and Napoleon are credited with developing this style.
Although Tabitha and Napoleon have a solid career in choreography and creative direction, they spend a lot of time teaching classes at dance studios and conventions. They have stated that teaching helps their choreography because it keeps them current on newer emerging hip-hop sub-styles. They are faculty members at DancePlug.com, Millennium Dance Complex, and the Edge Performing Arts Center in Hollywood. They also teach hip-hop dance classes at iHollywood and Monsters of Hip Hop dance conventions. On occasion they travel to different venues as guest teachers. In the past they have taught at Shock the Intensive, Coastal Dance Rage, the Dance Teacher Web Conference and Expo, Xtreme Dance Force, and Triple Threat Dance conventions. In 2010, they taught classes in Singapore
for Danz People and Boogiezone's "United We Boogie" event.
said that the JabbaWockeeZ entertained the audience before the show officially started and that MÜS.I.C had "game-changing potential" because it's the first time dance has headlined a show in Las Vegas. In contrast, the Las Vegas Review-Journal
(LVRJ) criticized the show as being "repetitious" and for having a bare stage for the first 20 minutes. LVRJ also criticized the use of masks as not appealing to a casual viewer because it inhibited the dancers personality: "Even if a generational split is in play here, it would be tough to hear the creators argue that the show would suffer if, after 20 minutes or so -- gasp! -- makeup or clown-face replaced the masks to expand the original concept." In October 2010 the show was moved to the Monte Carlo. Changes to the original show included a bigger stage, a new set, and added dance routines. CraveOnline.com called the new show "amazing" while Zap2It.com described it as "a vibrant, frenetic and multi-genre extravaganza of visuals, sound and movement."
" by Jordan Sparks. This routine received positive reviews was later chosen as a "Judges' Favorite" by judge and executive producer Nigel Lythgoe to be performed again during the finale. BuddyTV.com wrote that the routine deserved an Emmy nomination. Although Tabitha and Napoleon were not nominated for "No Air", they were nominated for "Bleeding Love", another lyrical hip-hop routine performed by Mark Kanemura and Chelsie Hightower
, which the San Francisco Gate called a "great drama from hip-hop choreographers Tabitha and Napoleon D'Umo, danced with chemistry and theatrical flair." This routine was picked as a "Judges' Favorite" by choreographer and judge Lil' C
. In June 2010, TVSquad.com named "No Air" and "Bleeding Love" two of the ten best routines from all seasons of SYTYCD. A third Tabitha and Napoleon lyrical hip-hop routine choreographed to Alicia Keys
' song "Like You'll Never See Me Again
" did not receive as much critical praise or attention as "Bleeding Love" or "No Air"; however, Nigel Lythgoe confessed when giving feedback on the dance that season four was the first time he had been emotionally affected by hip-hop routines.
Seasons five and six brought less praise for Tabitha and Napoleon. During season five's Top 8 performance episode, Lythgoe commented after a hip-hop routine choreographed by Shane Sparks
"It's wonderful to have Shane Sparks back this season. He brings something else... I've been a little disappointed with our hip-hop this year." Out of the 11 hip-hop routines (both couples and group routines) choreographed on season five previous to Lythgoe's comment, Tabitha and Napoleon choreographed seven. Although Lythgoe did not enjoy most of the hip-hop in season five, the routine they choreographed to the song "Mad
" by R&B singer Ne-Yo
was picked as a "Judges' Favorite" by Adam Shankman
on the season five finale episode.
The most significant less favorable comment came during season six in response to "People are Strange
"—a routine about how aliens
would attempt to dance hip-hop. None of the judges liked the routine. Lythgoe said the routine placed concept (theme) over substance (dancing). All the judges felt that the dance was weird and that the choreography was more to blame for the dancers' performance than the dancing itself. Of the routine "Give it to me Right
" that Tabitha and Napoleon choreographed on a later season six episode, TVSquad.com wrote that many parts were awkward and that the dance only became enjoyable once the dancers "stopped cavorting around the desk and got out on the floor." In contrast to the mediocre to bad reviews, two other routines they choreographed were picked as "Judges' Favorite" during the season six finale: "Beggin'" (chosen by Lil' C) and "I Can Transform Ya
" (chosen by Mary Murphy).
" by Lil Jon
. Creators magazine said the routine "brought the house down." Pioneer Local called the number "powerful... It's been so long since [Tabitha and Napoleon] have had a showstopping hip-hop number on SYTYCD. Not since Season 4 when they had Katee, Joshua, tWitch, Mark and Chelsie have they pulled out hip-hop this good." The routine was performed by ballet
dancer Alex Wong and "All-Star" hip-hop dancer Stephen "tWitch" Boss from season four. The concept is about a psychologist (tWitch) who teaches a dancer (Alex) to let go of his technique and inhibitions and just dance. After the performance, tWitch and Alex received a standing ovation from both the crowd and all three judges—Nigel Lythgoe, Mia Michaels, and Adam Shankman. So You Think You Can Dance host Cat Deeley
commented "I have never, never, in 'So You Think You Can Dance' history, heard a roar from a crowd like this - ever." Lythgoe called the concept "brilliant... This is about a ballet dancer doing the most incredible hip-hop... If this routine and you are not up for an Emmy with Napoleon and Tabitha next year, I don't know why not. It's probably one of the funnest, best hip-hop routines we've ever had on this show." In slight disagreement the Wall Street Journal noted that "Outta Your Mind" may in fact be nominated for a Emmy but it's unlikely to win because past winners have all been lyrical, very emotional routines.
On a later episode Tabitha and Napoleon choreographed a lyrical hip-hop routine to Alicia Keys
debut single "Fallin'
." Of the dance, judge Mia Michaels stated "That to me felt more real than any contemporary
piece, honestly because it came from such a raw raw space and place. That was absolutely unbelievable and it was like watching a dance film." Lythgoe stated that the dance reminded him of "Bleeding Love" and "No Air" from season four and added "Somehow Napoleon and Tabitha have this ability... to put emotion into hip-hop routines and it really is a real talent."
The positive reviews continued throughout the rest of the season. Of Tabitha and Napoleon's "Scars
" routine about angry clowns, Lythgoe called the piece "stunning" and Michaels described it as "hip-hop theater". After the episode aired, LATimes.com wrote that season seven had been "Nappytabs' best season". On the Top 3 performance episode after their "Power
" routine danced by eventual champion Lauren Froderman and "All-Star" tWitch, Michaels commented "Nappytabs what a season you have had, my God. It's been like home run after home run after home run...". Shankman echoed this comment on the finale by calling Tabitha and Napoleon "the MVP
s of the season". Four of their routines—"Fallin'", "Scars", "Battle for the Beat", and "My Chick Bad
"—were chosen as "Judges' Favorite" during the season seven finale broadcast. Due to an injury sustained by Alex Wong, "Outta Your Mind" was not picked as a judge's favorite. Instead it was performed by tWitch and special guest Ellen DeGeneres
as a tribute to Alex just before Lauren Froderman was declared the winner of season seven
. Almost a year later after the start of season eight, Entertainment Weekly
compiled a list of the "25 Best Performances Ever" on the show. "Outta Your Mind" was ranked number one. On September 10, 2011, Tabitha and Napoleon won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography for three routines they choreographed on season seven—"Scars", "Fallin'", and "Outta Your Mind".
Season eight brought back mixed feedback. Early in the season, Tabitha and Napoleon choreographed a lyrical hip-hop routine "Coming Home
" about a veteran coming back to his wife after returning from his deployment. The routine generated positive while emotional responses causing both guest judge Debbie Reynolds
and permanent judge Mary Murphy to cry while giving feedback. The Star Ledger placed "Coming Home" at number three in its list of the top five routines performed during season eight. On the Top 8 episode, Lady Gaga
appeared as a guest judge in which three hip-hop routines were performed. Although Tabitha and Napoleon choreographed two of them, she criticized their work while giving feedback on all three. She indirectly criticized them after a lyrical hip-hop piece choreographed by Marty Kudelka in which she referred to the style as "dated". Of the two routines they did choreographed, she criticized their use of props
in both of them. A flower was used in the first routine "Take a Bow
" about a cheating boyfriend asking for forgiveness. Several props including trash cans, rags, and brooms were used in the second routine "Bad Boys for Life
" about waste management workers. Aside from disliking the props, she described their hip-hop choreography for "Bad Boys for Life" as "contrived". On the finale "Coming Home" was not picked as a "Judges Favorite" but two other routines they choreographed, "I Got You
" and "Break Ya Neck
", were chosen instead by judges Nigel Lythgoe and Lil' C respectively.
. In 2009, they made an appearance at the Life Changing Lives Gala, the proceeds of which benefited the Wounded Warrior Project
, the Make-A-Wish Foundation
, and the Boys & Girls Clubs. At the event, Katie Shean and Joshua Allen from SYTYCD season four performed the D'umo choreographed "No Air" lyrical hip-hop routine about a soldier telling his girlfriend he's being deployed.
In the wake of the 2010 Haiti earthquake
, Tabitha and Napoleon held a week long fundraiser from online sales of their dancewear line. The money raised was donated to Artists for Peace and Justice who in turn gave 100% of their donations toward humanitarian relief efforts. For a separate fundraiser, they donated Nappytabs merchandise for a silent auction held by the organization Art4Life to benefit the American Cancer Society
.
In partnership with Nigel Lythgoe's Dizzy Feet Foundation, Tabitha and Napoleon created a short dance routine for people to view and download from YouTube
to promote the creation of a national dance day. On July 31, the proposed "National Dance Day" (the last Saturday in July), they led a flash mob
in a performance of the dance at L.A.'s Music Center Plaza
. They were joined on stage by Adam Shankman, Derek Hough
, Carrie Ann Inaba
, and Mia Michaels. At a press conference in Washington, D.C.
congresswoman Eleanor Norton, introduced a National Dance Day resolution
to promote dance education and physical fitness across the U.S. She later hosted her own flash mob on the National Mall
. The following year in 2011, Tabitha and Napoleon created another routine for National Dance Day which fell on July 30; flash mob dance events were held at several Six Flags
amusement parks across the country.
Videos
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
winning married choreographers who are often credited with developing the new style of hip-hop dance known as lyrical hip-hop. They have been working together in the dance industry since 1996 and are best known for their choreography on the TV show So You Think You Can Dance
So You Think You Can Dance (U.S. TV series)
So You Think You Can Dance is an American dance competition and reality show that airs on Fox in the United States.The series first premiered on July 20, 2005, and was created by American Idol producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe and is produced by 19 Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions...
. Since being with the show, their choreography has received both positive and negative criticism. In addition to So You Think You Can Dance, Tabitha and Napoleon own Nappytabs urban dancewear and are supervising choreographers on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's America's Best Dance Crew
America's Best Dance Crew
America's Best Dance Crew, often abbreviated as ABDC, is an American competitive dance reality television series that features street dance crews from the United States and around the world. It is produced by American Idol judge Randy Jackson and airs on MTV...
.
Tabitha and Napoleon grew up on opposite coasts of the United States and met in the early 1990s as students at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Nevada-Las Vegas is a public, coeducational university located in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada, USA. The campus is located approximately east of the Las Vegas Strip. The institution includes a Shadow Lane Campus, located just east of the University Medical Center of...
. They began their dance career together while still in college choreographing industrial musicals for large corporations with the hip-hop dance company Culture Shock. They were married in 1998 and continued to work in Las Vegas but eventually decided to move to Los Angeles to expand their opportunities. After moving in 1999, they started teaching hip-hop dance at the Edge Performing Arts Center in North Hollywood and found extra work choreographing for professional sports dance teams and back-up dancing for musical artists. In 2003, they joined the faculty of Monsters of Hip Hop dance convention.
Their work was introduced to mainstream audiences in 2008 when they became supervising choreographers on America's Best Dance Crew and resident choreographers on So You Think You Can Dance. It was on the later show that their lyrical hip-hop style gained exposure. The pair's career progressed to providing creative direction for tours and live events, where they worked with Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
, Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin
Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...
, Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
, Kayne West, and Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
. They continued to develop their dancewear line by breaking out of its previously online-only presence and opening a physical store location in 2010.
From television and concerts, their move into theater occurred gradually. They had a modest start in Las Vegas and later in Los Angeles with Monsters of Hip Hop: The Show. In 2010, they directed the JabbaWockeeZ
JabbaWockeeZ
Jabbawockeez is a Bay-Area-based Urban dance group formed initially by members Kevin " KB" Brewer, Phil "Swagger Boy" Tayag, & Joe "Punkee" Larot under the name "3 Muskee". They were the winners of season 1 of the show America's Best Dance Crew...
's MÜS.I.C. stage show and began to work with several productions of Cirque Du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
. They choreographed Cirque Du Soleil's Viva ELVIS
Viva Elvis
Viva Elvis is the seventh resident Cirque du Soleil show on the Las Vegas Strip. It resides at the Aria Resort & Casino and premiered on February 19, 2010...
show and were contributing choreographers for Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour
Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour
Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour is the official theatrical production by Cirque du Soleil which uses the music and vision of Michael Jackson along with Cirque du Soleil's signature acrobatic performance style to create a realistic concert experience. The arena show—which is very similar to...
. They also choreographed three Cirque guest performances: Viva ELVIS on Dancing with the Stars, LOVE
LOVE (Cirque du Soleil)
Love is a 2006 theatrical production by Cirque du Soleil which combines the re-produced and re-imagined music of The Beatles with an interpretive, circus-based artistic and athletic stage performance. The show plays at a specially built theatre at The Mirage in Las Vegas.A joint venture between...
on the NHL Awards, and Kà
Ka
-Language:* Ka * Ka * Georgian language, ISO 639-1 code ka* A glyph in the Brahmic family of scripts-Media and entertainment:* Ka * Kà, a Cirque du Soleil show* Mister Mosquito, a video game, known in Japan as Ka...
on America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...
. In 2011, they continued to establish themselves in television as choreographers for the flash-mob themed reality show MOBBED
Mobbed (TV series)
Mobbed is an American reality television show which premiered on Fox on March 30, 2011. The show stars comedian Howie Mandel and is inspired by the flash mobs featured on many YouTube videos....
. Aside from their choreography, creative direction, and dancewear line, Tabitha and Napoleon have been involved with charity work for organizations that support the arts. They continue to teach hip-hop classes at both dance studios and on the convention circuit.
1968-1996: Growing up and going to college
Napoleon was born October 17, 1968. While growing up as one of three children in Victorville, CaliforniaVictorville, California
Victorville is a city located in the Victor Valley of southwestern San Bernardino County, California. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2010 census, the city had a population of 115,903, up from 64,030 at the 2000 census.-Geography and climate:...
, he learned b-boying
B-boying
B-boying, often called "breakdancing", is a popular style of street dance that was created and developed as part of hip-hop culture among African Americans and Latino youths in New York City. The dance consists of four primary elements: toprock, downrock, power moves and freezes...
, locking
Locking (dance)
Locking is a style of funk dance, which is today also associated with hip hop. The name is based on the concept of locking movements, which basically means freezing from a fast movement and "locking" in a certain position, holding that position for a short while and then continuing in the same...
, and popping
Popping (dance)
Popping is a street dance and one of the original funk styles that came from California during the 1960s-70s. It is based on the technique of quickly contracting and relaxing muscles to cause a jerk in the dancer's body, referred to as a pop or a hit...
by traveling to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and frequenting the b-boy scene; he was eventually cast as an extra in the movie Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo
Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo
Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo is the 1984 sequel to the breakdancing film Breakin. It was first released in the same year as its predecessor by TriStar Pictures, and by Cannon Films the year after...
in 1984. After Napoleon graduated from Apple Valley High School
Apple Valley High School (California)
Apple Valley High School is a public four-year high school located in Apple Valley, California, United States. It is a part of the Apple Valley Unified School District...
, he joined the army and worked as a surgeon's assistant while stationed in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Once discharged, he attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) where he majored in molecular biology
Molecular biology
Molecular biology is the branch of biology that deals with the molecular basis of biological activity. This field overlaps with other areas of biology and chemistry, particularly genetics and biochemistry...
. In college, Napoleon started taking jazz
Jazz dance
Jazz dance is a classification shared by a broad range of dance styles. Before the 1950s, jazz dance referred to dance styles that originated from African American vernacular dance. In the 1950s, a new genre of jazz dance—modern jazz dance—emerged, with roots in Caribbean traditional dance...
and modern
Modern dance
Modern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. Although the term Modern dance has also been applied to a category of 20th Century ballroom dances, Modern dance as a term usually refers to 20th century concert dance.-Intro:...
dance classes. He eventually received a full scholarship as a member of the university's dance team.
Tabitha was born September 11, 1973 and grew up as an only child in Galloway, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. Her mother, Cynthia Cortopassi, enrolled her in jazz dance
Jazz dance
Jazz dance is a classification shared by a broad range of dance styles. Before the 1950s, jazz dance referred to dance styles that originated from African American vernacular dance. In the 1950s, a new genre of jazz dance—modern jazz dance—emerged, with roots in Caribbean traditional dance...
classes when she was young. As there were no hip-hop classes, Tabitha learned by watching music videos and participating in her school's cheer and dance teams. She cites Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
, and Paula Abdul
Paula Abdul
Paula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits...
as influences. After Tabitha graduated from Absegami High School
Absegami High School
Absegami High School is a public high school in Galloway Township, Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District...
, she moved out west in 1991 to attend UNLV where she majored in communications and started taking formal hip-hop dance classes. It was there that she met her husband Napoleon.
Tabitha and Napoleon started dating in 1994 but their professional partnership and dance career did not start until 1996 when they began teaching hip-hop classes together at the Las Vegas Athletic Club. Since the beginning of their career they have always worked together including their first choreography job and the first dance class they taught. It is very rare for them to work apart.
1996-2005: Relationship growth and career move to Los Angeles
While Tabitha and Napoleon were still in college they auditioned for, and were accepted into, the dance company Culture Shock where they met members of the JabbaWockeeZJabbaWockeeZ
Jabbawockeez is a Bay-Area-based Urban dance group formed initially by members Kevin " KB" Brewer, Phil "Swagger Boy" Tayag, & Joe "Punkee" Larot under the name "3 Muskee". They were the winners of season 1 of the show America's Best Dance Crew...
before the JabbaWockeeZ became a crew. In addition to going to school and being a part of Culture Shock, they both maintained part time jobs. Napoleon worked as a personal trainer during college while Tabitha worked at the Rio Hotel and Casino
Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino
The Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino is located off the Las Vegas Strip in the unincorporated area of Paradise, Nevada, USA. It is better known as The Rio and is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Inc. The Rio was the first all suite resort in the Las Vegas area...
. During their time with Culture Shock, they choreographed a variety of industrial musical
Industrial musical
An industrial musical is a musical performed internally for the employees or shareholders of a business, to create a feeling of being part of a team, to entertain, and/or to educate and motivate the management and salespeople to improve sales and profit...
s for casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
s and corporations such as Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
, Levi
Levi Strauss & Co.
Levi Strauss & Co. is a privately held American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's brand of denim jeans. It was founded in 1853 when Levi Strauss came from Buttenheim, Franconia, to San Francisco, California to open a west coast branch of his brothers' New York dry goods business...
, Redken, Matrix Hair, and MAC
Make-up Art Cosmetics
Make-up Art Cosmetics, better known as M·A·C or MAC Cosmetics, is a manufacturer of cosmetics founded in Toronto, Canada and headquartered in New York City, New York.-History:...
. They stayed with the company and eventually worked their way up from dancers to become artistic directors. As their college graduation was approaching, although Tabitha was planning to take a job in public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
and Napoleon was planning to attend medical school
Medical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
, they both decided to change their plans and pursue a career in the dance industry.
Tabitha and Napoleon were married April 19, 1998. In 1999, they moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to expand their opportunities. Upon arriving in L.A. they taught hip-hop classes at the Edge Performing Arts Center in Hollywood. They found extra work as back-up dancers for Beyonce, Toni Braxton
Toni Braxton
Toni Michelle Braxton is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Braxton has won six Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, and five Billboard Music Awards and has sold over 60 million records worldwide...
, Missy Elliot, Monica, Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
, Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
, and Sisqó
Sisqó
Mark Durrell Andrews , known by his stage name Sisqó, is an American R&B singer and actor. He is best known as the lead singer of R&B group Dru Hill, and also for "Thong Song", a song from his first solo LP, Unleash the Dragon, that became an international hit. - Biography :Sisqó was born Mark...
. Their move from dancing into choreography occurred gradually. Jobs included choreographing performances for NFL and NBA dance teams including the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
, and Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
, as well as choreographing a dance scene for the movie Legally Blonde
Legally Blonde
Legally Blonde is a 2001 American comedy film directed by Robert Luketic, written by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith, and produced by Marc E. Platt...
. In 2003, Napoleon started teaching classes with Monsters of Hip Hop dance convention. He was later joined by his wife Tabitha and they are now permanent faculty members. In addition to Monsters of Hip Hop, they still teach classes at The Edge Performing Arts Center.
2005-2007: Dancewear, creative directing, and fitness
In 2005, Tabitha and Napoleon started Nappytabs dancewear, which they design. Nappytabs is the first line of hip-hop dance apparel. They claim the lack of appropriate dancewear for the urban hip-hop dance community as inspiration for the company. Early in its production, Tabitha stitched the clothes herself. The Nappytabs logo is a yin and yangYin and yang
In Asian philosophy, the concept of yin yang , which is often referred to in the West as "yin and yang", is used to describe how polar opposites or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn. Opposites thus only...
like symbol with an "n" and a "t" overlapping in the middle. The word itself—Nappytabs—is a combination of Napoleon (Nappy) and Tabitha's (Tab) nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s.
Although Tabitha and Napoleon began creative directing after they moved to California, their first directing job brought them back to Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. They directed the "Steve Wyrick: Real Magic" show at the Aladdin Resort & Casino
Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino
Planet Hollywood Las Vegas, previously known as The Aladdin, is a casino resort on the Las Vegas Strip, in the unincorporated locale of Paradise, Nevada, United States. Westgate Resorts operates the condo portion of the property, known as PH Towers by Westgate.Planet Hollywood is owned by Caesars...
in Las Vegas. In 2006, they served as assistant directors for Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
’s Back to Basics Tour
Back to Basics Tour
The Back to Basics Tour was the fourth concert tour by American recording artist Christina Aguilera. The tour supported her third studio album Back to Basics. It grossed over $90 million worldwide with 82 shows...
. In 2007, they were also assistant directors for Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin
Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...
’s Black and White Tour. Both tours were directed by Jamie King
Jamie King
Jamie King is a creative director and choreographer whose work directing concert tours for pop stars has grossed over two billion dollars...
who is known primarily for his work with Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
.
Tabitha was the host/instructor of an exercise DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
by Prevention Fitness Systems titled Drop it with Dance.
The video is split into six 10-minute routines that gradually increase in difficulty; movements from all six routines are combined in the finale "Showtime" segment. She also appeared in Rock Your Body, a dance/fitness DVD hosted by Jamie King
Jamie King
Jamie King is a creative director and choreographer whose work directing concert tours for pop stars has grossed over two billion dollars...
.
2008-2009: Dance shows, lyrical hip-hop, and international exposure
Tabitha and Napoleon have been supervising choreographers for America's Best Dance CrewAmerica's Best Dance Crew
America's Best Dance Crew, often abbreviated as ABDC, is an American competitive dance reality television series that features street dance crews from the United States and around the world. It is produced by American Idol judge Randy Jackson and airs on MTV...
(ABDC) since season one in 2008. They are responsible for choreographing group routines, coming up with dance challenges, and assisting the crews as needed with polishing their performances. Every year Napoleon serves as a talent scout for the show traveling to different cities to see dance crews audition.
Also in 2008, the couple took on hosting duties for Rock the Reception
Rock the reception
Rock the Reception is a TV show on TLC in which expert choreographers Tabitha D'umo and Napoleon D'umo create outrageous wedding dances that shock the guests and create and upbeat atmosphere. It airs on TLC at 8:30....
on TLC
TLC (TV channel)
TLC is an American cable TV specialty channel which initially focused on educational content. Since 1991 TLC has been owned by Discovery Communications, the same company that operates the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and The Science Channel, as well as other learning-themed networks...
. On the show, they created wedding dances for engaged couples and their wedding party to perform for the guests at the reception. The participants were real life couples with no dance experience. The show premiered on July 15, 2008. A day before the premiere, Tabitha and Napoleon appeared on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's The View in order to promote it. In addition to ABDC and Rock the Reception, they joined the choreography and judging team on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
's So You Think You Can Dance
So You Think You Can Dance (Season 4)
So You Think You Can Dance is a United States television reality program and dance competition airing on the Fox Broadcasting Company network. Season four premiered on May 22, 2008, with Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy returning as permanent judges and Cat Deeley returning to host...
(SYTYCD). It was on this show that their lyrical hip-hop style gained mainstream exposure. Lyrical hip-hop is a fluid and more interpretive version of standard hip-hop most often danced to downtempo rap music or R&B music. The term itself was coined by choreographer and producer Adam Shankman
Adam Shankman
Adam Michael Shankman is an American film director, producer, dancer, actor, and choreographer. He has been a judge on the television program So You Think You Can Dance since Season 3. He began his professional career in musical theater, and was a dancer in music videos for Paula Abdul and Janet...
in reference to a routine choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon to Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
' "Bleeding Love
Bleeding Love
"Bleeding Love" is a pop/R&B ballad co-written by Jesse McCartney and Ryan Tedder and produced by Tedder for British singer Leona Lewis's debut album, Spirit. The song is the album's lead single , released in the United Kingdom and Ireland in October 2007...
".
"Bleeding Love" was nominated for a 2009 Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography. After the season ended, Tabitha and Napoleon went on to direct the So You Think You Can Dance Tour. They continued creative directing several other concerts throughout the remainder of the year. They were assistant directors for Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
’s Glow in the Dark Tour
Glow in the Dark Tour
The Glow in the Dark Tour is a critically acclaimed world concert tour by Kanye West featuring Rihanna, Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D, and Nas. It began on April 16, 2008 in Seattle, Washington and travelled to Latin America, Asia, Europe, New Zealand and Australia through to early December.The tour...
. They teamed up with Jamie King again and served as assistant directors for Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
's Taking Chances Tour
Taking Chances Tour
Taking Chances World Tour is the ninth concert tour by Canadian singer Céline Dion, in support of her 2007 studio albums, D'elles and Taking Chances. The tour marked the return of Dion after performing her groundbreaking show A New Day... in Las Vegas for five years. The tour visited Africa, Asia,...
. They directed Monsters of Hip Hop: The Show at El Portal Theater in Los Angeles, and America's Best Dance Crew Live which featured dance crews JabbaWockeeZ
JabbaWockeeZ
Jabbawockeez is a Bay-Area-based Urban dance group formed initially by members Kevin " KB" Brewer, Phil "Swagger Boy" Tayag, & Joe "Punkee" Larot under the name "3 Muskee". They were the winners of season 1 of the show America's Best Dance Crew...
, Super Cr3w
Super Cr3w
Super Cr3w is a breakdance crew from Las Vegas, Nevada who won the 2nd season of America's Best Dance Crew.-Early history:Before their popularity on ABDC, Super Cr3w was formed from three different b-boy dance crews and formed a "Super Crew" of their own.-Connection with...
, Fanny Pak
Fanny Pak
Fanny Pak is a seven member contemporary, hip-hop and jazz trained dance crew from Los Angeles, California that gained popularity after appearing on the second season of MTV's America's Best Dance Crew. Often while performing, the crew wears bright clothes and bold patterns reminiscent of the 1980s...
, ASIID, and Breaksk8. Yahoo!
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
gave the concert positive reviews citing that the five crews represented a good mix of styles and the concert brought the best parts of the show to the stage. In November 2008, Tabitha and Napoleon made the cover of Dance Teacher magazine. Dance Teacher wrote "The solidarity they share translates not only to their marriage of 10 years, but also to their work as two of today’s most renowned choreographers and instructors."
In January 2009, the Nappytabs dancewear website launched which began the start of online clothing sales. Prior to this, their line was sold exclusively at selected regional dancewear outlets and major dance conventions. Their dancewear website also serves as Tabitha and Napoleon's official website with news updates about different projects they're working on. The site is designed and maintained by Ryan Cyphert's 3nine Design media company; Cyphert is also a professional dancer and fellow faculty member with Tabitha and Napoleon at Shock the Intensive dance convention.
In April, Tabitha and Napoleon choreographed two couples' routines and a group routine for the second season of So You Think You Can Dance Australia
So You Think You Can Dance Australia (season 2)
Season two of So You Think You Can Dance Australia, the Australian version of the American reality dance-off series So You Think You Can Dance, is hosted by former Rogue Traders vocalist and solo artist Natalie Bassingthwaighte, with Jason Coleman, Matt Lee and Bonnie Lythgoe acting as the judges....
. The "Arab Money
Arab Money
"Arab Money" is the first official single from Busta Rhymes' eighth studio album Back on My B.S. The song features and is produced by Ron Browz. It discusses the influx of wealth in the Middle East, particularly in Dubai...
" hip-hop routine that they choreographed received positive reviews from the judges but their "Dead and Gone
Dead and Gone
-Remixes:*"Things Gotta Change" - Avery Storm*"When We Rock" - Bone Thugs-n-Harmony*"I Don't Like White People" - Rucka Rucka Ali-Cover versions:...
" lyrical hip-hop routine which was performed later on the same episode received the most praise. Bonnie Lythgoe
Bonnie Lythgoe
Bonnie Lythgoe is a former British dancer who, since the 1990s and 2000s, has been the producer and director of various theatre productions, including pantomimes....
called it the "top routine of the night". Jason Coleman added "the choreography [was] absolutely spectacular" and Matt Lee went on to say that it was "...probably the best routine in the series." While in Australia, Tabitha and Napoleon were judges at the 2009 Australian Hip Hop Championships in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
with native Australian b-boy Don and fellow Monsters faculty member Jillian Meyers. Other guest appearances included teaching at Project 818 in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and speaking on the Choreography Media Honors panel at Dance Camera West film festival.
In September, Tabitha and Napoleon choreographed the opening dance sequence on the season seven premiere of The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
. The routine featured both DeGeneres and the top 10 dancers from season five
So You Think You Can Dance (season 5)
So You Think You Can Dance is a United States television reality program and dance competition airing on the Fox Broadcasting Company network. Season five premiered on May 21, 2009, with Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy returning as permanent judges and Cat Deeley returning to host...
of So You Think You Can Dance. They went on to direct the succeeding So You Think You Can Dance Tour.
Tabitha and Napoleon choreographed for several television specials later in the year. The first of which was Sean Kingston
Sean Kingston
Sean Kingston is a Jamaican-American singer. He pursued a music career and debuted in 2007 with the album Sean Kingston.-Early life:...
's "Fire Burning
Fire Burning
"Fire Burning" is a dance pop song by reggae musician Sean Kingston. It is released as the lead single from his second studio album Tomorrow. The song displays a little more synth-dance sound than his previous recordings, with influences of dance music and electropop. Unlike many of his previous...
" performance at the Teen Choice Awards
Teen Choice Awards
The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
. At the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards
61st Primetime Emmy Awards
The 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards took place on September 20, 2009. CBS broadcast the Primetime event and E! the Creative Arts event; both take place at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The nominations for the Awards were announced on July 16....
, they choreographed a routine honoring dance that featured alumni from So You Think You Can Dance, America's Best Dance Crew, and Dancing With the Stars. Dancers included Karina Smirnoff
Karina Smirnoff
Karina Smirnoff is a Ukrainian professional ballroom dancer. She is best known for her appearances on Dancing with the Stars, where she held a runner-up title, a semi-final title, and several quarter-final titles...
and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Maksim Aleksandrovich Chmerkovskiy is a Ukrainian-American Latin Ballroom dance champion, choreographer, and instructor. He is best known as one of the professional dancers on the American television series Dancing with the Stars, on which he first appeared in season two...
, from Dancing With The Stars; Katee Shean, Mark Kanemura, and Joshua Allen
Joshua Allen
Joshua Allen is the winner of the fourth season of So You Think You Can Dance. He had originally auditioned in Dallas, Texas with his friend and fellow contestant, Comfort Fedoke. Allen was announced winner of the show on August 7, 2008, winning $250,000.-Early life:Allen was born in Fort Worth,...
, from So You Think You Can Dance; and four members of Quest Crew
Quest Crew
Quest Crew is an American hip-hop dance crew from Los Angeles, California who were declared winners of the third season of America's Best Dance Crew...
—the winners of season three of America's Best Dance Crew. They finished the year with choreography for Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005...
's All-Star Holiday Special, and Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
' performances at the American Music Awards
American Music Awards
-Conception:The AMAs were created by Dick Clark in 1973 to compete with the Grammys after the move of that year's show to Nashville, Tennessee led to CBS picking up the Grammy telecasts after its first two in 1971 and 1972 were broadcast on ABC...
and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest.
2010-2011: Cirque Du Soleil, brand expansion, MÜS.I.C, and MOBBED
In 2010, Tabitha and Napoleon returned to So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) for season seven and started to work with three different productions of Cirque Du Soleil. In February, they provided choreography for Cirque Du Soleil's Viva ELVIS show at the AriaARIA Resort & Casino
Aria Resort & Casino is a luxury resort and casino located within the CityCenter complex on the Las Vegas Strip. Aria consists of two curved glass and steel highrise towers adjoined at the center. It opened on December 16, 2009 as a joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Infinity World...
hotel in Las Vegas. They also choreographed a Viva ELVIS guest appearance on Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...
which Dance Spirit magazine called "fun" and "energetic". On SYTYCD they choreographed routines for the contestants as well as a guest performance for the cast of Cirque du Soleil's Beatles LOVE
LOVE (Cirque du Soleil)
Love is a 2006 theatrical production by Cirque du Soleil which combines the re-produced and re-imagined music of The Beatles with an interpretive, circus-based artistic and athletic stage performance. The show plays at a specially built theatre at The Mirage in Las Vegas.A joint venture between...
. They worked with LOVE again at the NHL awards and with their sister Cirque production Kà
Ka
-Language:* Ka * Ka * Georgian language, ISO 639-1 code ka* A glyph in the Brahmic family of scripts-Media and entertainment:* Ka * Kà, a Cirque du Soleil show* Mister Mosquito, a video game, known in Japan as Ka...
for a guest performance on America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...
.
Aside from choreography, Tabitha and Napoleon continued to develop and expand their dancewear line. In May, they opened the Nappytabs store and dance studio in the North Hollywood Arts District. Although they design their own clothing, they commissioned some print and t-shirt designs from Alex Lodermeier who has also designed for Propr, a clothing line owned by Ben Harper
Ben Harper
Benjamin Chase "Ben" Harper is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae and rock music and is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live performances and activism. Harper's fan base spans several continents...
, David Arquette
David Arquette
David Arquette is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, fashion designer, and occasional professional wrestler. A member of the Arquette acting family, he first became known during the mid 1990s after starring in several Hollywood films, such as the Scream series, Wild Bill and...
, and David Bedwell. Through Nappytabs, they also started sponsoring The Pulse on Tour dance convention and the Industry Voice online newsletter. Their clothing appears in independent R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
singer John Gillette's music video for his song "All Bad". Tabitha was a featured dancer in the video and Napoleon made a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
at the end.
Also in May the JabbaWockeeZ' MÜS.I.C. (muse-i-see) stage show, which Tabitha and Napoleon directed, opened at the MGM Grand Las Vegas
MGM Grand Las Vegas
The MGM Grand Las Vegas is a hotel casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The MGM Grand is the third largest hotel in the world and largest hotel resort complex in the United States in front of The Venetian. The MGM Grand was the largest hotel in the world when it opened in...
. MÜS.I.C. is the first hip-hop dance stage show on the Las Vegas Strip
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
. The original music for the show was produced by DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
collective The Bangerz and their costumes were designed by Kara Saun
Kara Saun
Kara Saun is an American fashion designer who participated in the first season of American reality show Project Runway.-Career:Saun was a contestant on the first season of the series Project Runway. She is the costume designer for MTV's hit series America's Best Dance Crew and the Jabbawockeez...
. The show was 90 minutes long involving dancing, comedy, and magic. The premiere included four members from Super Cr3w
Super Cr3w
Super Cr3w is a breakdance crew from Las Vegas, Nevada who won the 2nd season of America's Best Dance Crew.-Early history:Before their popularity on ABDC, Super Cr3w was formed from three different b-boy dance crews and formed a "Super Crew" of their own.-Connection with...
on stage masked as the JabbaWockeeZ. Although scheduled to end in June, the show was later extended through August. In October, MÜS.I.C became a permanent headliner at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino
Monte Carlo Resort and Casino
The Monte Carlo Resort and Casino is a megaresort hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, USA. The hotel is 32 stories, featuring a casino floor with over 2,200 slot and video poker machines and 95 table games. It is operated by MGM Resorts International...
. At the Monte Carlo premiere, the JabbaWockeeZ brought Tabitha on stage for a cameo appearance. Later in the year, Tabitha and Napoleon appeared as guest choreographers on Everybody Can Dance! / Танцюють всі!, the Ukrainian version of SYTYCD. They also appeared in the independent dance documentary Move. The film is about dance as an art form and how notable choreographers were able to go from dancing as a hobby to dancing as a career.
In February 2011, Tabitha and Napoleon made their music video directorial debut with the song "All These Boys" by Jasmine Villegas
Jasmine Villegas
Jasmine Marie Villegas also known as Jasmine V is an American teen R&B, pop and soul singer. She has Filipino and Mexican heritage. After many years of pursuing a career in music she was recently signed to Sony Music. In September 2010 she joined the second leg of Justin Bieber's My World Tour as...
. In addition to directing the video, they also served as choreographers. In the Spring, they returned to working in television with two projects. At the invitation of Nigel Lythgoe
Nigel Lythgoe
Nigel Lythgoe is an English television and film director and producer, and former dancer in the Young Generation and choreographer. He is noted for being the producer of the shows Pop Idol and American Idol as well as being a creator, executive producer and a regular judge for So You Think You Can...
, they joined the production crew on the tenth season
American Idol (season 10)
The tenth season of American Idol premiered on January 19, 2011 and concluded on May 25, 2011, on Fox. The show underwent a number of changes from season nine, including the reduction of the judging panel to its original number of just three judges , a returning executive producer, a new music...
of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
as staging
Staging (theatre)
Staging is the process of selecting, designing, adapting to, or modifying the performance space for a play or film. This includes the use or absence of stagecraft elements as well as the structure of the stage and its components....
and movement coaches. Lythgoe is the executive producer for both American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance. They also choreographed the Howie Mandel
Howie Mandel
Howard Michael "Howie" Mandel is a Canadian stand-up comedian, television host, and actor. He is well known as host of the NBC game show Deal or No Deal, as well as the show's daytime and Canadian-English counterparts. Before his career as a game show host, Mandel was best known for his role on...
produced television show MOBBED
Mobbed (TV series)
Mobbed is an American reality television show which premiered on Fox on March 30, 2011. The show stars comedian Howie Mandel and is inspired by the flash mobs featured on many YouTube videos....
which premiered after American Idol on March 31, 2011. The pilot episode was actually shot in September 2010 but after drawing 10.8 million views it was picked up as a series. In April, they started work on the film COBU 3D starring Derek Hough
Derek Hough
Derek Hough is an American dancer, choreographer, musician and actor. A world champion in Latin American Dance, Hough has appeared since September 2007 on the hit U.S...
and Korean pop singer BoA
BoA
Boa Kwon , commonly stylized and known by her stage name BoA, which is a backronym for Beat of Angel, is a Korean singer, active in South Korea, Japan, and the United States and sometimes referred to as the "Queen of Korean Pop Music"....
. Due to scheduling conflicts with the production of the film, they did not return to America's Best Dance Crew as supervising choreographers for season six
America's Best Dance Crew (season 6)
The sixth season of America's Best Dance Crew, also known as America's Best Dance Crew: Season of the Superstars, premiered on April 7, 2011 and concluded on June 5, 2011. Auditions were held in four cities from January 21 through February 5: Chicago, Houston, New York, and Los Angeles. This season...
. After filming was complete, they did return to Cirque Du Soleil as two of ten choreographers for Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour
Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour
Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour is the official theatrical production by Cirque du Soleil which uses the music and vision of Michael Jackson along with Cirque du Soleil's signature acrobatic performance style to create a realistic concert experience. The arena show—which is very similar to...
.
Choreography style and teaching
Tabitha and Napoleon's choreography is primarily hip-hop; however, it varies across genres depending on what project they're working on. On America's Best Dance Crew, the group routines they have choreographed have all been hip-hop. On So You Think You Can Dance, they've choreographed hip-hop, breakingB-boying
B-boying, often called "breakdancing", is a popular style of street dance that was created and developed as part of hip-hop culture among African Americans and Latino youths in New York City. The dance consists of four primary elements: toprock, downrock, power moves and freezes...
, lyrical hip-hop, and pop-jazz routines. With Cirque Du Soleil, their work has been a combination of jazz dance and acro
Acro dance
Acro dance is a style of dance that combines classical dance technique with precision acrobatic elements. It is defined by its athletic character, its unique choreography, which seamlessly blends dance and acrobatics, and its use of acrobatics in a dance context...
. In general, their choreography is "...largely centered on storytelling and physical comedy" but the style they are most known for is lyrical hip-hop.
Lyrical dance is a studio based dance style that uses a combination of classical dance techniques from jazz and ballet to tell a story through movement. With jazz and ballet, technique alone can provide a good performance but in lyrical dance expressing emotion is emphasized just as much as technique. Hip-hop is an urban dance style that is characterized as hard-hitting involving isolations—moving certain body parts independently from others—and musicality, the body's sensitivity to changes in music. Hip-hop can incorporate movement from its sub-styles locking
Locking (dance)
Locking is a style of funk dance, which is today also associated with hip hop. The name is based on the concept of locking movements, which basically means freezing from a fast movement and "locking" in a certain position, holding that position for a short while and then continuing in the same...
, breaking
B-boying
B-boying, often called "breakdancing", is a popular style of street dance that was created and developed as part of hip-hop culture among African Americans and Latino youths in New York City. The dance consists of four primary elements: toprock, downrock, power moves and freezes...
, popping
Popping
Popping is a street dance and one of the original funk styles that came from California during the 1960s-70s. It is based on the technique of quickly contracting and relaxing muscles to cause a jerk in the dancer's body, referred to as a pop or a hit...
, and boogaloo to add a different movement quality but conveying emotion does not have to be present as the dance is more about swagger, bravado, and/or having fun. Lyrical hip-hop combines the nuances of lyrical dance with the vocabulary and foundational movements found in hip-hop. In lyrical dance there is a name for every dance step. Examples include pirouette (turn), chassé
Chasse
Chasse or chassé rarely chassée is a dance step used in many dances in many variants, all of them being triple-step patterns of gliding character, steps going basically step-together-step. The word came from ballet terminology...
(a type of shuffle across the floor), jeté (leap), and pointe work (pointed toes). In hip-hop and in lyrical hip-hop there is not a name for every dance step and the previously mentioned dance moves, although standard in lyrical dance, are not common or standard in lyrical hip-hop. In lyrical hip-hop there are still isolations, gliding
Floating (dance)
Floating, gliding or sliding refers to a group of footwork-oriented dance techniques and styles closely related to popping, which attempt to create the illusion that the dancer's body is floating smoothly across the floor or that the legs are walking while the body travels in unexpected directions....
, and body waves just like in standard hip-hop but the movements are smoother and more fluid rather than hard-hitting and, like lyrical dance, emphasis is placed on storytelling and conveying emotion through the choreography. Tabitha and Napoleon are credited with developing this style.
Although Tabitha and Napoleon have a solid career in choreography and creative direction, they spend a lot of time teaching classes at dance studios and conventions. They have stated that teaching helps their choreography because it keeps them current on newer emerging hip-hop sub-styles. They are faculty members at DancePlug.com, Millennium Dance Complex, and the Edge Performing Arts Center in Hollywood. They also teach hip-hop dance classes at iHollywood and Monsters of Hip Hop dance conventions. On occasion they travel to different venues as guest teachers. In the past they have taught at Shock the Intensive, Coastal Dance Rage, the Dance Teacher Web Conference and Expo, Xtreme Dance Force, and Triple Threat Dance conventions. In 2010, they taught classes in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
for Danz People and Boogiezone's "United We Boogie" event.
Critical reception
MÜS.I.C.
The first run of MÜS.I.C. at the MGM Grand received mixed reviews. Las Vegas WeeklyLas Vegas Weekly
Las Vegas Weekly is a free alternative weekly newspaper based in Henderson, Nevada, covering Las Vegas arts, entertainment, culture and news. Las Vegas Weekly is published by Greenspun Media Group. The paper was founded in 1992 by James Reza as a free monthly publication called Scope covering...
said that the JabbaWockeeZ entertained the audience before the show officially started and that MÜS.I.C had "game-changing potential" because it's the first time dance has headlined a show in Las Vegas. In contrast, the Las Vegas Review-Journal
Las Vegas Review-Journal
The Las Vegas Review-Journal is published in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It is the largest circulating daily newspaper in Nevada, and one of two daily newspapers in Las Vegas . It is the flagship publication of Stephens Media LLC...
(LVRJ) criticized the show as being "repetitious" and for having a bare stage for the first 20 minutes. LVRJ also criticized the use of masks as not appealing to a casual viewer because it inhibited the dancers personality: "Even if a generational split is in play here, it would be tough to hear the creators argue that the show would suffer if, after 20 minutes or so -- gasp! -- makeup or clown-face replaced the masks to expand the original concept." In October 2010 the show was moved to the Monte Carlo. Changes to the original show included a bigger stage, a new set, and added dance routines. CraveOnline.com called the new show "amazing" while Zap2It.com described it as "a vibrant, frenetic and multi-genre extravaganza of visuals, sound and movement."
So You Think You Can Dance
Most criticism of Tabitha and Napoleon's choreography has come as a result of their work on So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD). Over the five seasons they've been with the show, they have received mixed reviews.Seasons four, five, and six
Lyrical hip-hop gained exposure and popularity during Tabitha and Napoleon's first season with So You Think You Can Dance (season four) on the first performance episode after contestants Katee Shean and Joshua Allen performed a lyrical hip-hop piece to the song "No AirNo Air
"No Air" is a song by American recording artist Jordin Sparks featuring American R&B singer Chris Brown. The song was written by James Fauntleroy II, Eric Griggs, Michael Scala, Harvey Mason, Jr., Damon Thomas and Steve Russell...
" by Jordan Sparks. This routine received positive reviews was later chosen as a "Judges' Favorite" by judge and executive producer Nigel Lythgoe to be performed again during the finale. BuddyTV.com wrote that the routine deserved an Emmy nomination. Although Tabitha and Napoleon were not nominated for "No Air", they were nominated for "Bleeding Love", another lyrical hip-hop routine performed by Mark Kanemura and Chelsie Hightower
Chelsie Hightower
Chelsie Hightower is a Latin ballroom dancer, who is best known for being a regular dance partner, trainer, and choreographer on the ABC competition show Dancing with the Stars.-Biography:...
, which the San Francisco Gate called a "great drama from hip-hop choreographers Tabitha and Napoleon D'Umo, danced with chemistry and theatrical flair." This routine was picked as a "Judges' Favorite" by choreographer and judge Lil' C
Lil' C
Christopher "Lil' C" Toler is an American dancer and choreographer best known as being one of the pioneers of the hip-hop dance style krumping and for his choreography and judging on the TV show So You Think You Can Dance. In 2005 he appeared as himself in the krumping documentary Rize...
. In June 2010, TVSquad.com named "No Air" and "Bleeding Love" two of the ten best routines from all seasons of SYTYCD. A third Tabitha and Napoleon lyrical hip-hop routine choreographed to Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
' song "Like You'll Never See Me Again
Like You'll Never See Me Again
"Like You'll Never See Me Again" is a song by American R&B and soul singer–songwriter Alicia Keys from her third studio album, As I Am . Written and produced by Keys and Kerry Brothers, Jr., it was released in November 2007 as the album's second single...
" did not receive as much critical praise or attention as "Bleeding Love" or "No Air"; however, Nigel Lythgoe confessed when giving feedback on the dance that season four was the first time he had been emotionally affected by hip-hop routines.
Seasons five and six brought less praise for Tabitha and Napoleon. During season five's Top 8 performance episode, Lythgoe commented after a hip-hop routine choreographed by Shane Sparks
Shane Sparks
Shane Sparks is an award-winning hip-hop choreographer best known for his work as a choreographer on So You Think You Can Dance and judge on America's Best Dance Crew. He won an American Choreography Award for his work as co-choreographer on 2004 film You Got Served...
"It's wonderful to have Shane Sparks back this season. He brings something else... I've been a little disappointed with our hip-hop this year." Out of the 11 hip-hop routines (both couples and group routines) choreographed on season five previous to Lythgoe's comment, Tabitha and Napoleon choreographed seven. Although Lythgoe did not enjoy most of the hip-hop in season five, the routine they choreographed to the song "Mad
Mad (song)
"Mad" is a song by American pop/R&B singer Ne-Yo. It is the third single from his album Year of the Gentleman and was produced by Stargate and himself.-Music video:...
" by R&B singer Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario...
was picked as a "Judges' Favorite" by Adam Shankman
Adam Shankman
Adam Michael Shankman is an American film director, producer, dancer, actor, and choreographer. He has been a judge on the television program So You Think You Can Dance since Season 3. He began his professional career in musical theater, and was a dancer in music videos for Paula Abdul and Janet...
on the season five finale episode.
The most significant less favorable comment came during season six in response to "People are Strange
People Are Strange
"People Are Strange" is a single released by The Doors in September 1967 from their second album Strange Days which was also released in September 1967. The single peaked at the #12 position of the U.S. Hot 100 chart and made it to the top ten in the Cash Box charts...
"—a routine about how aliens
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
would attempt to dance hip-hop. None of the judges liked the routine. Lythgoe said the routine placed concept (theme) over substance (dancing). All the judges felt that the dance was weird and that the choreography was more to blame for the dancers' performance than the dancing itself. Of the routine "Give it to me Right
Give It to Me Right
"Give It to Me Right" is a song by Canadian R&B singer Melanie Fiona from her debut album, The Bridge . Written and produced by Andrea Martin, the track was sent to radio outlets as the album's lead single on February 28, 2009...
" that Tabitha and Napoleon choreographed on a later season six episode, TVSquad.com wrote that many parts were awkward and that the dance only became enjoyable once the dancers "stopped cavorting around the desk and got out on the floor." In contrast to the mediocre to bad reviews, two other routines they choreographed were picked as "Judges' Favorite" during the season six finale: "Beggin'" (chosen by Lil' C) and "I Can Transform Ya
I Can Transform Ya
"I Can Transform Ya" is a song by American singer Chris Brown. The song features Lil Wayne and Swizz Beatz. It was written by Brown, Wayne and Beatz, and produced by the latter. Originally known simply as "Transformer", the song was Brown's first official release since his altercation with former...
" (chosen by Mary Murphy).
Seasons seven and eight
Tabitha and Napoleon received their best reviews on So You Think You Can Dance during season seven after a performance they choreographed to the song "Outta Your MindCrunk Rock
Crunk Rock is the solo debut album by American Crunk artist Lil Jon, released on June 8, 2010 by BME and Universal Republic. The symbols at the bottom of the album's cover are Japanese Katakana characters, which read "Kurunku Rokku"....
" by Lil Jon
Lil Jon
Jonathan Mortimer Smith , better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, music producer, entrepreneur, and occasional disc jockey who was a member of the group Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz. Lil Jon formed the group in 1997, and the group released several albums between then and 2004...
. Creators magazine said the routine "brought the house down." Pioneer Local called the number "powerful... It's been so long since [Tabitha and Napoleon] have had a showstopping hip-hop number on SYTYCD. Not since Season 4 when they had Katee, Joshua, tWitch, Mark and Chelsie have they pulled out hip-hop this good." The routine was performed by ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
dancer Alex Wong and "All-Star" hip-hop dancer Stephen "tWitch" Boss from season four. The concept is about a psychologist (tWitch) who teaches a dancer (Alex) to let go of his technique and inhibitions and just dance. After the performance, tWitch and Alex received a standing ovation from both the crowd and all three judges—Nigel Lythgoe, Mia Michaels, and Adam Shankman. So You Think You Can Dance host Cat Deeley
Cat Deeley
Catherine Elizabeth "Cat" Deeley is an English television presenter and model. Since 2006, Deeley has also been the host of So You Think You Can Dance in the United States, for which she received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition...
commented "I have never, never, in 'So You Think You Can Dance' history, heard a roar from a crowd like this - ever." Lythgoe called the concept "brilliant... This is about a ballet dancer doing the most incredible hip-hop... If this routine and you are not up for an Emmy with Napoleon and Tabitha next year, I don't know why not. It's probably one of the funnest, best hip-hop routines we've ever had on this show." In slight disagreement the Wall Street Journal noted that "Outta Your Mind" may in fact be nominated for a Emmy but it's unlikely to win because past winners have all been lyrical, very emotional routines.
On a later episode Tabitha and Napoleon choreographed a lyrical hip-hop routine to Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
debut single "Fallin'
Fallin'
"Fallin" is a song recorded, written, and produced by American recording artist Alicia Keys for her debut album, Songs in A Minor. Released to radio and music video outlets in 2001, it is generally considered her signature song. "Fallin'" became Keys' first number-one single in the United States...
." Of the dance, judge Mia Michaels stated "That to me felt more real than any contemporary
Contemporary dance
Contemporary dance is a genre of concert dance that employs compositional philosophy, rather than choreography, to guide unchoreographed movement...
piece, honestly because it came from such a raw raw space and place. That was absolutely unbelievable and it was like watching a dance film." Lythgoe stated that the dance reminded him of "Bleeding Love" and "No Air" from season four and added "Somehow Napoleon and Tabitha have this ability... to put emotion into hip-hop routines and it really is a real talent."
The positive reviews continued throughout the rest of the season. Of Tabitha and Napoleon's "Scars
Scars (Basement Jaxx album)
Scars is the fifth studio album by British electronic dance music duo Basement Jaxx, released on 21 September 2009. It was preceded by the first single "Raindrops", released on 21 June, while the second single, "Feelings Gone", was also released in the United Kingdom on 21 September...
" routine about angry clowns, Lythgoe called the piece "stunning" and Michaels described it as "hip-hop theater". After the episode aired, LATimes.com wrote that season seven had been "Nappytabs' best season". On the Top 3 performance episode after their "Power
Power (Kanye West song)
"Power" is a single by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West, released as the lead single from his fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The song features additional vocals by Dwele and is co-produced by Kanye West and Symbolyc One...
" routine danced by eventual champion Lauren Froderman and "All-Star" tWitch, Michaels commented "Nappytabs what a season you have had, my God. It's been like home run after home run after home run...". Shankman echoed this comment on the finale by calling Tabitha and Napoleon "the MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
s of the season". Four of their routines—"Fallin'", "Scars", "Battle for the Beat", and "My Chick Bad
My Chick Bad
"My Chick Bad" is a song by American rapper Ludacris. The song features American recording artist Nicki Minaj, who co-wrote the song with Ludacris, Samuel Lindley and Derrelle Davidson. The track was produced by The Legendary Traxster. "My Chick Bad" serves as the second single from Ludacris'...
"—were chosen as "Judges' Favorite" during the season seven finale broadcast. Due to an injury sustained by Alex Wong, "Outta Your Mind" was not picked as a judge's favorite. Instead it was performed by tWitch and special guest Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen Lee DeGeneres is an American stand-up comedienne, television host and actress. She hosts the syndicated talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and was also a judge on American Idol for one year, having joined the show in its ninth season....
as a tribute to Alex just before Lauren Froderman was declared the winner of season seven
So You Think You Can Dance (season 7)
So You Think You Can Dance is a United States television reality program and dance competition airing on the Fox Broadcasting Company network. Season seven premiered on May 27, 2010...
. Almost a year later after the start of season eight, Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
compiled a list of the "25 Best Performances Ever" on the show. "Outta Your Mind" was ranked number one. On September 10, 2011, Tabitha and Napoleon won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography for three routines they choreographed on season seven—"Scars", "Fallin'", and "Outta Your Mind".
Season eight brought back mixed feedback. Early in the season, Tabitha and Napoleon choreographed a lyrical hip-hop routine "Coming Home
Coming Home (Diddy-Dirty Money song)
"Coming Home" is a song by American rapper and producer Diddy and his band Dirty Money, from their debut album Last Train to Paris . It was released on November 21, 2010, as the album's fourth single. The contemporary hip-hop pop song was written by Jiraphat Wongsuwan. Alex Da Kid and Jay-Z...
" about a veteran coming back to his wife after returning from his deployment. The routine generated positive while emotional responses causing both guest judge Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds is an American actress, singer, and dancer.She was initially signed at age 16 by Warner Bros., but her career got off to a slow start. When her contract was not renewed, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer gave her a small, but significant part in the film Three Little Words , then signed her to...
and permanent judge Mary Murphy to cry while giving feedback. The Star Ledger placed "Coming Home" at number three in its list of the top five routines performed during season eight. On the Top 8 episode, Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
appeared as a guest judge in which three hip-hop routines were performed. Although Tabitha and Napoleon choreographed two of them, she criticized their work while giving feedback on all three. She indirectly criticized them after a lyrical hip-hop piece choreographed by Marty Kudelka in which she referred to the style as "dated". Of the two routines they did choreographed, she criticized their use of props
Theatrical property
A theatrical property, commonly referred to as a prop, is an object used on stage by actors to further the plot or story line of a theatrical production. Smaller props are referred to as "hand props". Larger props may also be set decoration, such as a chair or table. The difference between a set...
in both of them. A flower was used in the first routine "Take a Bow
Take a Bow (Rihanna song)
"Take a Bow" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, taken from the re-release, Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded , of her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad . The song was written and produced by Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel Eriksen and Shaffer Smith, under their stage names Stargate and Ne-Yo...
" about a cheating boyfriend asking for forgiveness. Several props including trash cans, rags, and brooms were used in the second routine "Bad Boys for Life
The Saga Continues...
The Saga Continues... is the third studio album released by American hip-hop artist Diddy and the Bad Boy Family on July 10, 2001 in North America. The album was eventually certified Platinum. It is the only studio album under the P...
" about waste management workers. Aside from disliking the props, she described their hip-hop choreography for "Bad Boys for Life" as "contrived". On the finale "Coming Home" was not picked as a "Judges Favorite" but two other routines they choreographed, "I Got You
I Got You (Leona Lewis song)
"I Got You" is a pop song performed by British singer-songwriter Leona Lewis. It was written by Arnthor Birgisson, Max Martin and Savan Kotecha, and produced by Birgisson. It is featured on Lewis' second studio album, Echo . "I Got You" was released on 21 February, 2010, in the United Kingdom as...
" and "Break Ya Neck
Break Ya Neck
"Break Ya Neck" is the first single by American rapper Busta Rhymes, from his fifth album Genesis . The song was produced by Dr. Dre and Scott Storch. Truth Hurts provides background vocals. The song contains an interpolation of the Red Hot Chili Peppers song "Give It Away"...
", were chosen instead by judges Nigel Lythgoe and Lil' C respectively.
Charity work
Tabitha and Napoleon have donated money and/or their time to different organizations. Most of the charity work they've done has been related to dance in some way from raising money for a charitable cause through dance or doing work to support the ArtsThe arts
The arts are a vast subdivision of culture, composed of many creative endeavors and disciplines. It is a broader term than "art", which as a description of a field usually means only the visual arts. The arts encompass visual arts, literary arts and the performing arts – music, theatre, dance and...
. In 2009, they made an appearance at the Life Changing Lives Gala, the proceeds of which benefited the Wounded Warrior Project
Wounded Warrior Project
The Wounded Warrior Project is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to "honor and empower wounded warriors" of the United States Armed Forces...
, the Make-A-Wish Foundation
Make-A-Wish Foundation
The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a 501 non-profit organization founded in the United States that grants wishes to children who have life-threatening medical conditions. The charity now operates in forty-seven countries around the world through thirty-six affiliate offices.The president & CEO of this...
, and the Boys & Girls Clubs. At the event, Katie Shean and Joshua Allen from SYTYCD season four performed the D'umo choreographed "No Air" lyrical hip-hop routine about a soldier telling his girlfriend he's being deployed.
In the wake of the 2010 Haiti earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
, Tabitha and Napoleon held a week long fundraiser from online sales of their dancewear line. The money raised was donated to Artists for Peace and Justice who in turn gave 100% of their donations toward humanitarian relief efforts. For a separate fundraiser, they donated Nappytabs merchandise for a silent auction held by the organization Art4Life to benefit the American Cancer Society
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization" dedicated, in their own words, "to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and...
.
In partnership with Nigel Lythgoe's Dizzy Feet Foundation, Tabitha and Napoleon created a short dance routine for people to view and download from YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
to promote the creation of a national dance day. On July 31, the proposed "National Dance Day" (the last Saturday in July), they led a flash mob
Flash mob
A flash mob is a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and sometimes seemingly pointless act for a brief time, then disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment, satire, artistic expression...
in a performance of the dance at L.A.'s Music Center Plaza
Los Angeles Music Center
The Music Center is one of the three largest performing arts centers in the nation. Located in downtown Los Angeles, the Music Center is home to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Ahmanson Theater, Mark Taper Forum and Walt Disney Concert Hall...
. They were joined on stage by Adam Shankman, Derek Hough
Derek Hough
Derek Hough is an American dancer, choreographer, musician and actor. A world champion in Latin American Dance, Hough has appeared since September 2007 on the hit U.S...
, Carrie Ann Inaba
Carrie Ann Inaba
Carrie Ann Inaba is an American dancer, choreographer, actress, game show host, and singer.She started her career as a singer in Japan, but became best known for her dancing, first introducing herself to American audiences as one of the original Fly Girls on the sketch comedy series In Living Color...
, and Mia Michaels. At a press conference in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
congresswoman Eleanor Norton, introduced a National Dance Day resolution
Resolution (law)
A resolution is a written motion adopted by a deliberative body. The substance of the resolution can be anything that can normally be proposed as a motion. For long or important motions, though, it is often better to have them written out so that discussion is easier or so that it can be...
to promote dance education and physical fitness across the U.S. She later hosted her own flash mob on the National Mall
National Mall
The National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Mall is a unit of the National Park Service , and is administered by the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit...
. The following year in 2011, Tabitha and Napoleon created another routine for National Dance Day which fell on July 30; flash mob dance events were held at several Six Flags
Six Flags
Six Flags Entertainment Corp. is the world's largest amusement park corporation based on quantity of properties and the fifth most popular in terms of attendance. The company maintains 14 properties located throughout North America, including theme parks, thrill parks, water parks and family...
amusement parks across the country.
See also
- List of choreographers
- List of dancers
- List of dance personalities
External links
WebsitesVideos