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Napoleon and Tabitha D'umo
Backstage after the "So You Think You Can Dance" season four finale.
NationalityUnited States American
Other namesNappytabs
Alma materUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas[1]
Occupation(s)Choreographers, dance teachers, creative directors, fashion designers
Years active1996–present
Known forDeveloping lyrical hip-hop
WebsiteNappyTabs

Napoleon Buddy D'umo (born October 17, 1968) and Tabitha A. D'umo (née Cortopassi born September 11, 1973), also known as Nappytabs, are a husband and wife choreography team who are often credited with developing the new strand of hip-hop dance known as lyrical hip-hop.[2][3][4][5][6] 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. They were subsequently nominated for a 2009 Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography for their work on season four. In addition to So You Think You Can Dance, Napoleon and Tabitha are supervising choreographers on MTV's America's Best Dance Crew and own Nappytabs urban dancewear.

Napoleon and Tabitha started their career in Las Vegas while still in college choreographing industrial musicals for large corporations. After moving to Los Angeles, they began teaching dance classes at both studios and conventions as well as choreographing for professional sports' dance teams including the Orlando Magic and the Dallas Cowboys. From teaching, their career progressed to choreographing for commercials, television shows, and concerts. They have worked with entertainers such as Missy Elliott, Celine Dion, Kayne West, Ricky Martin, and Jennifer Lopez. They also appeared in the 2010 dance documentary MOVE and choreographed Cirque Du Soleil's Viva ELVIS show. Although Napoleon and Tabitha still choreograph and teach classes, they have moved toward providing creative direction for tours and live events.

Early life

While growing up in Victorville, California,[2] Napoleon learned breaking, 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.[7] After graduating high school, Napoleon enlisted in the US military[2] and his family relocated to Las Vegas. Once discharged, he attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) where he majored in molecular biology.[1] In college Napoleon started taking jazz and modern dance classes, eventually receiving a full scholarship as a member of the university's dance team.[7]

Tabitha grew up in Galloway, New Jersey[6]. Her mother, Cynthia Cortopassi,[6] enrolled her in jazz dance classes when she was young.[7] As there were no hip-hop classes, Tabitha learned by watching music videos and participating in her school's cheer and dance teams.[7] After graduating Absegami High School[7] Tabitha moved out west to attend UNLV, where she majored in communications and started taking formal hip-hop dance classes.[1] It was there that she met her future husband Napoleon.[7]

Tabitha and Napoleon started their professional partnership in 1996 while still in college as part of the dance company Culture Shock. During their time with Culture Shock, they choreographed a variety of industrials for casinos and companies such as Nike, Levi, Redken, Matrix Hair, and MAC.[7][8] Although Tabitha was planning to take a job in public relations and Napoleon was planning to attend medical school, they both decided upon graduating to pursue dance full time.[7]

Career

Choreography

Choreography and performance credits with musical acts include Sean Kingston,[9] Jennifer Lopez,[5] Carrie Underwood,[6] Celine Dion, Missy Elliott, Toni Braxton, Destiny's Child, Timbaland, De La Soul, Kristine W, Culture Shock, and Funky Green Dogs.[10][11] Their television and film credits include the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards,[12] the Special Olympics,[10] Nickelodeon’s Zoey 101, the Grammy Awards, the Billboard Music Awards, Soul Train, Legally Blonde, and MTV's Rock the Cradle.[11] Napoleon and Tabitha have also choreographed for NFL and NBA dance teams including the Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bulls, and Orlando Magic.[13]

"I'm hoping, as a choreographer, that [ABDC's] going to bring it to the next level again, just like Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, when they were the stars of the screen... Where you can go somewhere, and it's not 'backup' dancing. You're the actual show."

Napoleon D'umo[14]

Napoleon and Tabitha have been supervising choreographers for all five seasons of America's Best Dance Crew.[14] In an interview with Zap2it.com, Napoleon expressed his excitement about the show's potential to bring dancers to the forefront.

Also in 2008, the couple took on hosting duties for Rock the Reception on TLC.[15] On the show they created wedding dances for engaged couples and their respective wedding party to surprise their guests at the reception.[16] A day before the premiere they appeared on ABC's The View in order to promote it.[17] The same year, they joined the choreography and judging team on Fox's So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD).[3] It was on this show that their lyrical hip-hop style gained mainstream exposure. The term lyrical hip-hop was first coined by choreographer and producer Adam Shankman in reference to a routine choreographed by Napoleon and Tabitha to Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love".

"The great thing about this show is that we've really explored a totally new thing which is lyrical hip-hop and [Tabitha and Napoleon] nail it. This show has shown that hip-hop is just a completely legitimate beautiful genre in and of its own and you can tell such beautiful and heart breaking stories."[18]

This routine was later nominated for a 2009 Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography.[19] Tabitha has stated that they do not create choreography without a story because the story determines the movement and the feeling they want to project: "We listen to the song over and over and over and finally we find that skeleton and then we can start preparing some steps."[20]

In April 2009, Napoleon and Tabitha choreographed three dance numbers for the second season of So You Think You Can Dance Australia. SYTYCD Australia judge and choreographer Matt Lee called their "Dead and Gone" lyrical hip-hop number the best routine of the season.[21]

In September 2009, Napoleon and Tabitha choreographed the opening dance number on the season 7 premiere of The Ellen Degeneres Show.[22] The routine featured both DeGeneres and the top 10 dancers from season five of So You Think You Can Dance. In February 2010 they provided choreography for Cirque Du Soleil's Viva ELVIS show at the Aria hotel in Las Vegas.[23]

Teaching

Napoleon and Tabitha spend a lot of time teaching classes at dance studios and conventions. They teach hip-hop dance at DancePlug[24] and at the Edge Performing Arts Center in Hollywood.[10] They are also faculty members at Xtreme Dance Force,[25] Shock the Intensive,[8] Coastal Dance Rage,[11] 2 Days in OC,[26] iHollywood,[27] and Monsters of Hip Hop[28] dance conventions. In addition to their permanent teaching positions they were featured instructors at Project 818 in Moscow, Russia and judges at the 2009 Australian Hip Hop Championships in Sydney.[29][30]

Directing

Although the majority of their work consist of choreography and teaching, Napoleon and Tabitha have also provided creative direction for tours and live events. In 2006, they served as assistant directors for Christina Aguilera’s Back to Basics Tour. They were also assistant directors for Ricky Martin’s Black and White Tour in 2007 and for Celine Dion's Taking Chances Tour, and Kanye West’s Glow in the Dark Tour in 2008.[12] Also in 2008, they were the lead directors for Monsters of Hip Hop: The Show as well as the So You Think You Can Dance Tour and America's Best Dance Crew Live, which featured Jabbawockeez, Super Cr3w, Fanny Pak, ASIID, and Breaksk8.[12][31][32] In 2009, they directed the succeeding So You Think You Can Dance Tour[12] as well as the Jabbawockeez opening show for New Kids on the Block's Full Service Tour.

Projects

Napoleon and Tabitha have their own line of dancewear called Nappytabs. Nappytabs is the first line of hip-hop dance apparel. They decided to develop it due to the lack of appropriate dancewear for the urban hip-hop dance community[33]. For this reason, it is sold exclusively at selected regional dance clothing stores, major dance conventions—Monsters of Hip Hop, Shock the Intensive, Pulse, CoDance—and online through the Nappytabs official website.[3][34]

In 2007, Tabitha was the host/instructor of an exercise DVD by Prevention Fitness Systems titled Drop it with Dance. RodaleStore.com describes it as a "...high energy workout [that] will have you dancing off the pounds and inches."[35] 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.[36] Tabitha also appeared in Rock Your Body, a dance/fitness DVD hosted by choreographer and creative director Jamie King who is known primarily for his work with Madonna.[35][37]

In 2010, Napoleon and Tabitha will appear in the documentary MOVE.[6][38] 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. There are over fifty dance professionals slated to appear in this film including Jamie King, Vincent Paterson, Marguerite Derricks, Desmond Richardson, Alex Magno, Kenny Ortega, Mia Michaels, and Barry Lather.

References

  1. ^ a b c Russell, Gregg (2006). "Tabitha and Napoleon: Hip to Hip Hop". Studio Beat. pp. 22–25. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  2. ^ a b c d Wolfson, Julie (September 9, 2009). "Talking about the Impact of Dance with Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo of So You Think You Can Dance". LAist.com. Gothamist. Retrieved 2009-09-11.
  3. ^ a b c Cheng, Peter (2008). "Lovers of Hip Hop". Gloss Magazine. 1 (14). Retrieved 2009-04-04. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  4. ^ "Lyrical Hip Hop Takes Center Stage"". The Expressionist. June 25, 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-12.
  5. ^ a b Colbert, Quantrell (November 20, 2009). "So You Think Jennifer Lopez Can Dance? She Can!". People.com. Retrieved 2010-02-02.
  6. ^ a b c d e Cronick, Scott (December 30, 2009). "Everyone has a story: Galloway woman choreographs 'Rockin' Eve'". pressofAtlanticCity.com. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Jones, Jen. "Hollywood's Hot Dancing Duo, Tabitha and Napoleon D'Umo". Dance Teacher Magazine. Retrieved 2009-04-20.
  8. ^ a b "Faculty". ShocktheIntensive.com. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
  9. ^ "Emmy Nominated Tabitha and Napoleon D'Uomo to Choreograph for Emmy's". BroadwayWorld.com. 16 September 2009. Retrieved 2010-02-14.
  10. ^ a b c "Edge Teachers – NTD". EdgePac.com. Retrieved 2008-07-13.
  11. ^ a b c "Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo – Biography". CoastalDanceRage.com. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
  12. ^ a b c d "Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo / MSA Pressroom". MSAagency.com. Retrieved 2009-05-28.
  13. ^ "Monsters of Hip Hop at The Ailey Extension". signup4.net. Retrieved 2010-04-02.
  14. ^ a b Paloucek, Karl (February 7, 2008). "MTV Puts More Than Four on the Floor". Zap2it.com. Retrieved 2009-04-23.
  15. ^ "Rock The Reception – Pazsaz Entertainment Network". Pazsaz.com. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
  16. ^ Kinon, Cristina (July 7, 2008). "Bride, groom ready to rhumba in 'Rock the Reception". Daily News. Retrieved 2009-04-20.
  17. ^ Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo (July 14, 2008). "Gary Oldman". The View. Season 11. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |episodelink= (help); Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
  18. ^ "The Top 16 Perform". So You Think You Can Dance. Season 4. Episode 10. June 25, 2008. Fox. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ "2009 Creative Arts Emmy Award nominees". CDN.Emmys.TV. pair Networks. Retrieved 2009-07-21. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  20. ^ Johnson, Kristy (2009). "Tabitha and Napoleon Exclusive!". DanceInforma.com. Retrieved 2009-06-08. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  21. ^ Talia & BJ (dancers) (April 5, 2009). SYTYCD Australia: Top 6 – "Dead and Gone". Australia: FremantleMedia Australia Pty Ltd. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
  22. ^ Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo (choreographers) (2009-09-08). "Season Premiere". The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Season 7. Episode 1. syndicated. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |episodelink= (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
  23. ^ "Meet the Creators of Viva ELVIS". CirqueDuSoleil.com. Retrieved 2010-03-05.
  24. ^ "Faculty". DancePlug.com. Retrieved 2009-10-21.
  25. ^ Amir, Nina (July 1, 2009). "Company Life". DanceSpirit.com. Retrieved 2010-04-02.
  26. ^ "2 Days in OC". 2 Days in OC. Dennis Caspary Productions. Retrieved 2009-09-17.
  27. ^ "Tabitha & Napoleon". iHollywood.com. Retrieved 2009-06-26.
  28. ^ "Monsters of Hip Hop bios". Monsters.com. Retrieved 2009-04-20.
  29. ^ "Napoleon & Tabitha D'umo". Project818.com. Retrieved 2009-07-05.
  30. ^ "AHC Sydney Finals – Review". CriticalHype.com. April 20, 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
  31. ^ "Tabitha and Napoleon, Monsters of the Show". Movmnt Magazine. 2008. Retrieved 2009-06-11. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  32. ^ Yuri and Taeko (interviewers) (August 26, 2008). The Yuri and Taeko Show – Napoleon & Tabitha – ABDC 2 Finale (Adobe Flash video). Los Angeles. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
  33. ^ Krisanits, Tracy (2007). "Keeping Tabs". Dance Retailer News (5). Macfadden Performing Arts Media: 46. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  34. ^ "Partners". Nappytabs.com. Retrieved 2009-04-20.
  35. ^ a b "Prevention Fitness Systems: Drop it with Dance". RodaleStore.com. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
  36. ^ "Prevention Fitness Systems – Drop It with Dance". DVDtalk.com. Retrieved 2009-04-20.
  37. ^ Jamie King and Tabitha D'umo (instructor, dancer) (February 12, 2008). Rock Your Body: With Jamie King Break It Down One. King Productions, Inc. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
  38. ^ "Featured Cast in Alphabetical order". movethefilm.com. Retrieved 2009-07-03.

External links

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tabitha_and_Napoleon_D%27umo&oldid=353935846

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