Napoleon D'umo

Tabitha A. D'umo (née Cortopassi) and Napoleon Buddy D'umo, known together as Nappytabs, are Emmy Award-winning married choreographers.

They are best known for their choreography on the television show So You Think You Can Dance and for being supervising choreographers and executive producers of America's Best Dance Crew.

Since being with the former, their choreography has received both praise and criticism.

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 and started taking jazz and modern dance classes.

Tabitha grew up as an only child in Galloway Township, New Jersey.

Her mother enrolled her in jazz dance classes when she was young.

Since 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.

While cheerleading at Absegami High School, Tabitha earned "All-American" status at an NCA camp and got the opportunity to perform in the Aloha Bowl in Hawaii.

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 Tabitha graduated, she moved to Nevada in 1991 to attend UNLV where she majored in communications and started taking formal hip-hop dance classes.

It was there at a party that she met Napoleon.

While hanging out with her cheerleading and dance team friends, Tabitha invited Napoleon and his body building friends to come to a casual practice session and do stunt work with them.

Napoleon and his friends eventually attended a formal practice session on campus, and the cheerleading coach was so impressed with their work that they all received full scholarships to join the team.

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.

While Tabitha and Napoleon were still in college, they were accepted into the dance company Culture Shock where they met members of the JabbaWockeeZ 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.

Together they worked at Bunker Dance Center in Las Vegas teaching hip-hop classes.

Separately Napoleon worked as a personal trainer and Tabitha worked at the Rio Hotel and Casino.

While dancing with Culture Shock, Tabitha created demo reels of the company to send to event organizers who were having conventions in Las Vegas.

Tabitha and Napoleon used this method to book choreography jobs and it was during this time that they honed their lyrical hip-hop style.

They own Nappytabs urban dancewear and have been working in the dance industry since 1996.

After moving to Los Angeles in 1999, they started teaching hip-hop classes at the Edge Performing Arts Center.

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 by 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.

They continued to establish themselves in television as choreographers for Madonna's Super Bowl halftime performance.

By 2015, they had choreographed several K-pop music videos for artists such as TVXQ, EXO, and 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.

Napoleon was raised in Victorville, California as one of three siblings.