SASKATOON — It took almost a year, but the wait was worth it as Rhythm Jewellery will finally unveil the result of their collaboration with dance industry power couple Napoleon and Tabitha D’umo. The collection is called Evolution, which is inspired by the dance careers of the husband-and-wife team that span more than two decades.
It is the first collaboration between the local jewellery company and the Las Vegas-based couple, with the elegantly designed pieces expected to grab attention globally.
Rhythm owner and designer Tasha Sattler told SASKTODAY she approached the D’umos to propose the project in the summer of last year, but the COVID-19 pandemic slowed things down.
Sattler said that one of Tabitha’s ideas was having different pieces that you can wear every day.
“I like when you can change the pieces to fit your mood that day. I am not the same person creatively everyday, and I shouldn't have to be either," said Tabitha during their meeting.
“So, that theme [Evolution] is really prevalent in the whole collection. So many pieces are versatile and can be switched around to create different looks. There are also a lot of pieces in the collection that can be worn in multiple ways so you can express yourself creatively depending on how you feel that particular day,” added Sattler.
Turning the vision of Napoleon and Tabitha into art pieces seemed to be not that difficult for Sattler as she had already made jewellery and other trinkets that are dance-inspired with the help of some of her clients who are also professional dancers in the city and in the province. Each piece is a labour of love, working on every detail to make sure everything is accurate.
“I don’t necessarily just make what I want to make. A client comes to me and we put together what each of our vision is. It’s my job to achieve their vision for them. All the pieces for dance that I’ve designed gets reviewed by professional dancers to make sure everything is accurate,” said Sattler.
“I designed a ballerina jumping and I have ballet dancers look at the piece before making it. They checked if the leg lift is at the right angle and how the toe points or if the leg needs to be straighter. It’s very technical and I want to make sure I’m creating something that they want or that accurately reflects their vision.”
That’s why collaborating with the Nappytabs owners was an amazing experience for Sattler.
“When you are collaborating with others you are taking multiple artists with different ideas and combining them together. So, in many cases we wind up designing a collection that I most likely never would have designed on my own.”
“They are both creative and produce some of the most artistic and beautiful performances in the world. Being able to work with them to translate their ideas into a jewellery line, pieces that they feel represented them and their careers, was challenging but a truly amazing experience at the same time.”
She added that it was also an interesting experience for Napoleon and Tabitha as they get the chance to work on the other side of the collaborative process.
“Normally, they have an artist who comes to them with a vision and an idea, and their job is to execute that vision and turn it into a performance that represents them and their story. For this process, they get to bring the vision and concept, and it was my job to execute it for them. So, they had a lot of fun doing it.”
Now, the Evolution collection will be made available online with the formal launching of all the hand-crafted and dance-inspired pieces from the collaboration of Sattler and the D’uomo’s on Friday, Nov. 12.
Flew to Las Vegas
Sattler said that she flew to Las Vegas with Saskatoon-based photographer Tonya Wanner and local make-up artist Jennilee Cardinal-Schultz to meet with Napoleon and Tabitha for a final photo shoot where the couple gets the chance to wear and model the Evolution pieces that they helped create.
“It was really exciting to show them the pieces as an entire collection in person. Of course, they have seen pictures and sketches through the whole process, but it isn't the same as seeing them in real life and trying them on. They were really happy with how everything turned out and since after the photo shoot, they have been wearing them every day,” said Sattler.
“Almost all the pieces in the collection are not dance specific, they represent creativity and their love for dance, but you don't have to be a dancer to wear them. There are some that have & 5, 6, 7, 8 etched on them, which is the count that dancers use before they start dancing, so if you ask any dancer, they hear those numbers a lot.”
“This is so great. This is our life, but in a piece of jewellery,” were the words that Napoleon said when he tried one of the bracelets for the first time.
Napoleon and Tabitha began their professional partnership in 1996 but both were dancing for years before they have even met. Their dancing career is not only limited to choreography as they also spent time teaching in various studios and conventions as well as being creative directors of concerts, tours, and shows by different artists.
The couple have been a part of dance shows So You Think You Can Dance and America’s Best Dance Crew, won two Primetime EMMY awards after being nominated four times, and choreographed Jennifer Lopez and Shakira’s epic Super Bowl LIV halftime show last year. Beyonce, Ariana Grande, Celine Dion, Pit Bull, and Madonna are the other big-name artists that they had the chance to work with.
They are also a staple in the Las Vegas entertainment industry where they worked with Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, Paula Abdul, and Derek Hough. They also directed and choreographed shows for the Jabbawockeez and have been part of many Cirque du Soleil productions.
