Prince (1997) — NPG Dance Company

GlamSlamEscape
Jul 8, 1997
2 min read

The NPG Dance Company was a short‑lived dance ensemble conceived, led, and directed by Mayte in 1997. Inspired after seeing the Joffrey Ballet perform Billboards — a ballet set entirely to Prince’s music — Mayte envisioned a dedicated troupe performing original choreography built around Prince’s work. Prince supported the project and contributed ideas, but Mayte retained full artistic control, overseeing direction, choreography, stage coordination, staging, and lighting.

Prince helped shape the visual identity of the troupe, suggesting that each dancer adopt a distinctive look, including brightly coloured hair in shades like purple, electric blue, and shocking pink. Members were also given nicknames derived from Prince song titles. The ensemble included former Erotic City dancers Carla (Garrido) Kama, Lindsley Allen, and Melissa Williams, alongside dancers recruited through auditions held in New York in August 1997. The company brought together performers from the United States, France, Germany, and beyond, some of whom also appeared with Prince in select stage and television performances.

The troupe’s signature production was Around The World In A Day, a stage show built around Prince’s music and featuring a section set to material from Kamasutra. Under Prince’s supervision, the dancers recorded vocals for a new version of Raspberry Beret, used within the production.

At the end of August 1997, Mayte learned she was pregnant for the second time. Although she chose not to perform as a dancer, she refused to cancel the project, believing the ensemble had worked too hard to abandon the show. Prince accompanied her to the opening night in Chicago, where she directed lighting cues from the audience.

Accounts differ regarding the troupe’s end. Some report that the NPG Dance Company continued into 1998 and was disbanded after the failure of the Around The World In A Day tour. In her memoir, Mayte recalled that she and Prince decided to disband the company immediately after the Chicago opening in 1997, intending to revisit the project after the birth of their child. The production was expensive to tour, required significant time and energy, and Mayte wished to focus on her pregnancy. Any plans to revive the project were ultimately abandoned following the loss of their child and the subsequent deterioration of her marriage to Prince.

MEMBERS

• André Fuentes — “Scandalous” • Carla (Garrido) Kama — “Anna Stesia” • Melissa Williams — “Shockadelica” • Brian Friedman — “Billy Jack Bitch” • Kamilah Woolfolk — “Sexy Dancer” • Salvatore Vassallo — “Saviour” • Lindsley Allen — “Darling Nikki” • Kyndra Monet — “Insatiable” • Gabriel “Kwikstep” Dionisio — “Pop Life” • Karine Luquet — “Zannalee” • Stephane Boko — “Style” • Marcella Lehner — “Curious Child” • Buddy Mynatt — “Mr. Happy” • Vergi Therese — “Melody Cool” • Kim Cottom — “Hot Thing” • Gabriel A. Paige — “Sexy MF” • Bethania Nascimento Gomez — “Soft ’n’ Wet” • Christian Vincent — “Thunder” • Cubie Burke — “Emale” • Yolanda Martin Garcia — “Venus de Milo” • Desmond Richardson — “Solo” (select performances) • Jacques Jean F. Emile — “Solo” (replacing Richardson in selected shows)