AFTERBUZZ TV – AfterBuzz TV’s Spotlight On edition, is a long form interview series featuring Actors and TV personalities discussing their roles and shows as well as their thoughts, passions and journeys. In this episode host Alikona Bradford interviews Napoleon & Tabitha.
Their bios: Tabitha A. D’umo (née Cortopassi; born September 11, 1973) 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 lyrical hip-hop. They are best known for their choreography on the television show So You Think You Can Dance and for being supervising choreographers on America’s Best Dance Crew for the first five seasons. Since being with the former, their choreography has received both praise and criticism. They own Nappytabs urban dancewear and have been working together in the dance industry since 1996.
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 by choreographing industrial musicals for large corporations with the hip-hop dance company Culture Shock. After moving to Los Angeles in 1999, they started teaching hip-hop classes at the Edge Performing Arts Center in North Hollywood. They took additional jobs 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 choreography 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, 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. In 2010, they directed the JabbaWockeeZ’s MÜS.I.C. stage show and began to work with Cirque du Soleil; they choreographed Viva Elvis and were contributing choreographers for Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour. In 2012, they continued to establish themselves in television as choreographers for Madonna’s Super Bowl halftime performance. They also choreographed several K-pop music videos including one for the singer BoA. Aside from their choreography, creative direction, and dancewear line, Tabitha and Napoleon continue to teach hip-hop classes at dance studios and on the convention circuit. They have also been involved with charity work for organizations that support the arts.
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10/15/2014
