A Brief History

September '95 – The StopGAP project is set up as a joint initiative between Woking and Guildford Borough Councils.

. Black and white group photograph of the original StopGap team. The caption reads:

'The StopGAP Project' – April '96.

April '96 – University of Surrey Graduate, Vicki Balaam joins the regular group of dancers who begin working towards a performance for the first ever Woking Dance Umbrella, mentored by CandoCo dancers Dave Toole and Kuldip Singh-Barmi.
March '97 – StopGAP perform as part of the first Woking Dance Umbrella.
April '97 – Following considerable success as part of Woking Dance Umbrella, the StopGAP team decide to continue as an independent dance organisation and elect Vicki Balaam as the new 'Artistic Director'.
June '97 – Chris Pavia joins the company as a trainee dancer.
January '99 – Chris Pavia graduates and becomes apprentice.
July '99 – StopGAP are 'featured artists' at the Royal Festival Hall. They receive funding and support from the South Bank Centre to commission their first new work 'Creeper' choreographed by Sue Smith (of Company Pyke).
January 2000 – As StopGAP make the final transition from community dance group to fully-fledged professional dance company, Vicki and Chris are able to become 'full-time' dancers for the company.
June 2000 – StopGAP commission Becky Edmunds to choreograph 'Orbit' and Adrian Court to choreograph 'Godstar'.

Black and white publicity photograph of Chris, Dan, Vicki and Laura, arms stretched, barely holding hands. The caption reads:

'Thank You For The Eggs!'

September 2001 – StopGAP receives its first funding from Arts Council South East, which enables the company to audition and recruit two new dancers, Dan Watson and Laura Jones, and commission a new piece of choreography by Betina Strickler (of Protein Dance) entitled 'Thank You For The Eggs!'
February 2002 – StopGAP enlist the help of Greg Matthews Design to help re-brand the company, including a new more accessible website.

Publicity photograph featuring Laura, Dan, Chris and new dancer Lucy. Lucy and Dan are peering over Chris who is bending back between them, Laura strains her head in the background to see what's going on. The caption reads:

'Rough N'Tumble'.

January 2003 – Vicki retires from performing to focus more on her role as Artistic Director, commissioning a new piece 'Rough N'Tumble' choreographed by Maxine Doyle (of First Person Dance Company). StopGAP audition and recruit new full-time dancer, Lucy Bennett.
March 2003 – StopGAP participate in their first international project, funded by the European Union, establishing a long-term relationship with DanzaMobile in Seville.

Publicity photograph featuring Dan, Laura, Lucy and Chris. In the foreground Dan is running alongside Laura in her wheelchair, leaning on her shoulder, their heads tilted towards each other. Behind them Lucy and Chris lean against each other, her arm is raised shoulder high as Chris rests his head on it. The caption reads:

'Corpus' – photo by Hugo Glendinning.

February 2004 – StopGAP receive funding from Arts Council South East to commission 'Corpus' choreographed by Filip van Huffel (of Retina Dance Company). It premieres at Woking's Rhoda McGaw Theatre, hosted by Woking Dance Festival.

Publicity photograph featuring Lucy, Laura and Dan. Laura faces forwards, Lucy and Dan stand flanking left and right behind her, looking across each other. They all have their arms raised as if birds in flight. Laura cranes her head up, looking longingly into the light. The caption reads:

'Dancers’ Syndrome' – photo by Hugo Glendinning.

March 2004 – StopGAP receive funding from Arts Council South West to commission 'Dancers’ Syndrome' choreographed by Adam Benjamin. The piece premieres at Exeter Phoenix as part of StopGAP's first ever tour of the South West UK.
June 2004 – StopGAP are invited to perform at The Place (London) as part of an evening with 'Five Men Dancing'.
September 2004 – First performance in Spain at La Casa Encendida, Madrid.
October 2004 – StopGAP begin their first regional tour ...in Sweden.
November 2004 – StopGAP perform their first full evening London show, at Jackson's Lane, as part of Xposure 2004. The show is a sell-out.
January 2005 – StopGAP Dance Company become resident artists of Farnham Maltings in Surrey.

Publicity photograph featuring Chris and Dan. They are both dressed as janitors and are walking sideways, with huge strides, from right to left past a white wall. Right arms extended with palms flat against the wall, they tilt their heads back and look up. The caption reads:

'Double Booked' – photo by Hugo Glendinning.

February 2005 – StopGAP receive funding from Arts Council South West to create its first internal commission. Dan Watson choreographs the piece entitled 'Double Booked' which is specifically intended to be performed at rural venues.
March 2005 – StopGAP celebrate their 10 year anniversary. 'A Decade Of Dance' is an evening of entertainment and performances at Woking's Rhoda McGaw Theatre as part of Woking Dance Festival 2005.
April 2005 – StopGAP are invited to undertake a Strategic International Development project for British Council (Turkey) to support the development of their integrated dance sector. It includes a commission by Dan Watson and Lucy Bennett performed as part of the Ankara Music Festival.
June 2005 – Denise Woods leaves Woking Dance Festival to begin work as StopGAP's new 'General Manager'.
August 2005 – StopGAP are commissioned by Surrey County Council to create site specific work, as part of the 'First Footprints' project. It includes three dance pieces choreographed by Dan Watson, along with visual and audio support from key StopGAP collaborators Greg Matthews and Willie Elliott.
October 2005 – StopGAP begin their first UK rural tour, focussing on the South West region.
January 2006 – StopGAP cross the Atlantic for a series of performances at the Alvin Ailey Studios Theatre in New York City, supported by the International Society for Performing Arts and the Association of Performing Arts Presenters.
March 2006 – StopGAP perfrom as part of British Dance Edition, establishing links with European dance houses including Centre Nationale de la Danse, Pantin (Paris).
March 2006 – StopGAP perform their first full evening performance at The Place (London) to a packed house.
April 2006 – 11 years after its conception, StopGAP Dance Company becomes a Regularly Funded Organisation (RFO) of Arts Council England.
May 2006 – StopGAP become Associate Artists of The Point (Eastleigh).
June 2006 – The company begins to develop the concept of a series of short pieces to form part of a new 'full evening' performance, under the umbrella title of 'Portfolio Collection'.
Autumn 2006 to Summer 2007 – StopGAP undertake their first UK regional tour, focussing on the South East and South West regions, performing in both rural and traditional venues.
August 2007 – StopGAP are commissioned by Swedish Arts Council to create 'Le Picnic' choreographed by Bernard Cauchard, co-produced by Norrlands Operan, (Umea) and Essegarden, (Vilhelmina).
September 2007 – StopGAP return to La Casa Encendida (Madrid) and preview a selection from 'Portfolio Collection' featuring Spanish-based choreographer Rob Tannion (of Stan Won't Dance).

A publicity poster of 'Portfolio Collection' shows the dancers in 4 poses, harshly lit against a brightly coloured wall. The caption reads:

'Portfolio Collection' poster.

September to October 2007 – StopGAP undertake their first 'national' tour of Sweden.
November 2007 – StopGAP perform 6 performances in Centre Nationale de la Danse, Pantin (Paris) previewing a selection from 'Portfolio Collection' featuring French choreographer Nathalie Pernette (Compagnie Pernette).
November 2007 – StopGAP premiere the full 'Portfolio Collection' at The Point (Eastleigh). The show is a sell-out and receives rave reviews.
January 2008 – StopGAP launch their first ever UK tour. The tour is funded by Arts Council England and supported by National Disability Touring Network.