THE STORY OF
HIP-HOP’S
POWER COUPLE
A few hours before the 15th Anniversary
of Choreographer’s Carnival, NappyTabs joined
KreativMndz for dinner and a nice long chat. Napoleon
awed at the lobster macaroni, and Tabitha quizzed the
waitress for their most caffeinated tea. They would, later
that night, be awarded with the Outstanding Achievement as Industry Innovators Award; one of the many
testaments of the dance world’s “Power Couple.”
Tabitha’s hair was gently pulled back exposing
her silver leaf earrings, and she later confessed that after
unsuccessfully trying two other hairstyles, she resorted
to her ever-so-trusty ponytail. She joked about how having a baby took a toll on her hair and that she needed to
learn how to style it again. But if you ask us, she looked
fantastic; they both did. Their alarm goes off at 5:30 every morning and the term “day off ” doesn’t exist. With a
schedule so busy, it’s hard to imagine how they manage
to always look this good and still possess a cheerful,
positive vibe.
London, their two year old son, and light of
their lives, was at home with a babysitter while Tabitha
and Napoleon expressed how nice it was to be able to sit
down with us. They beamed with a mixture of joy and
nostalgia as they reminisced about the first time they
performed at Carnival. This is a showcase in Los Angeles where choreographers are able to select dancers, put
a piece together and showcase it for their peers. It’s a
perfect place for choreographers to have fun with their
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theme and concept; and that’s exactly what NappyTabs
did. It was 1999, and the hip-hop scene got a taste of
the film Grease; the notoriously funky, and fashionable
movie about high school in the 50’s. Napoleon lowered
a rope-levered scooter onto the stage while a legendary
cast rode in on their motorbikes during “why this car
could be systematic, hydromantic, ultramatic.” When
you think about it, Nappytabs truly are greased lightingthey constantly burn up every quarter mile they pass!
Well, you know what we mean.
Year 1991, a power couple was born. It may
have been the mix of Tabitha’s Italian descent with
Napoleon’s Spanish and Filipino lineage, but it made
a recipe for flavor. The legacy that is now NappyTabs
all began at the University of Las Vegas, where sparks
flew between the two students, neither of which was
working towards a dance major. Discovering that they
had a shared passion for dance and hip-hop, they came
together to collaborate, and two years later, they began
to choreograph for a colligate performance team called
Culture Shock Las Vegas. Being the only hip-hop group
in Las Vegas, they were given the opportunity to think
outside of the box, push the boundaries, and find the
balance of remaining marketable. Tabitha told us, “We
did this Michael Jackson medley with these obnoxious
red pleather suits. We came down to Los Angeles to
have someone custom make them. We were always full
out!”
NAPPYTABS
You could hear the motivation
behind their voices as they screamed
for their story to be heard. Hip-Hop
dancers had more to offer in the entertainment business than just a battle on
the streets. Even if it meant dancing to
songs they disliked, they knew that being able to create to anything they were
given was a testament to their talent as
choreographers.
Through trial and error, they
figured out a formula to catering to
people outside of their own community. Napoleon explained how “sometimes it could come off corny, but it
was just the way we did things. It was
more overall entertaining. And if we
could combine it with decent steps,
it was still good movement, so you’re
entertained at a different level.”
Something that both of them take
pride in is that they never take themselves too seriously, and that’s probably
why NappyTabs are so commercially
successful. Napoleon gives us some
golden advice: “keepin’ it real keeps
it stagnant.” They encourage the idea
that you have to be fearless to move
forward and must expose yourself to
new and different things. The lessons
and skills acquired in Las Vegas were
irreplaceable. And lucky for us, what
happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay
there.
NappyTabs made the big move
to Los Angeles in 1999, two years
after they married (find details of the
proposal on page…). While moving
to LA is big step, Napoleon’s mentality
was surprisingly relaxed. He explained
his expectations of Tabitha dancing,
while he occupied himself for a couple
of years before he would go back to
medical school. But how things played
out is a whole different story.
The late 90’s hosted hoards
of pop bands, so like every dancer’s
dream: auditions were consistent. The
castings were held at Millennium’s
former legendary dome. Missing an
audition was not an option.
While Tabitha would effortlessly perfect what the choreographer
asked, Napoleon struggled to pick up
choreography, inspiring him to come
up with a new strategy. Sneaking past
the sign in sheet, Napoleon would
learn the choreography, rent out studio
space across the hall and practice
while everyone else was auditioning.
He would come back in the room and
insist that they must have forgotten
his name. “I’d go in the last group and
then rip it, cause I had been practicing
that sh*t for an hour straight, nonstop.”
He figured out that he had to reteach
himself in a way that worked for him.
Meanwhile, Tabitha was experiencing j