Chris was the first of the current dancers to join Stopgap in 1997 as a Trainee and is now a Senior Dance Artist and Resident Choreographer.
Chris became a Stopgap apprentice in 1999 and completed a Foundation GNVQ in Performing Arts at Brooklands College, Weybridge. He became a full time dancer with the company in 2000. Working with choreographers such as Adam Benjamin, Betina Strickler, Hofesh Shechter, Thomas Mettler, Nathalie Pernette, Rob Tannion and Thomas Noone. Chris has toured both nationally and internationally with Stopgap.
As a choreographer Chris co-choreographed Chris et Lucy with Lucy Bennett, and in 2008 was the first learning disabled choreographer to be selected for Resolution! with his work Statues of Darkness. In 2010 Chris choreographed Shadowed Voices, a duet for Stopgap trainees, that has been performed at schools and conferences across the UK, as well as in Albania for the Albanian President in 2010. Chris choreographed Captured by the Dark for Resolution! 2013.
Chris choreographed The Awakening for Stopgap which toured to festivals and outdoor spaces across the UK in Summer 2014 and 2015. The Awakening made Chris the first learning disabled choreographer in the UK to create work for national touring. In 2017/8 Chris created his solo work Captains Duties. 2019 saw Chris create a duet titled The Journey Between, a Chris Pavia and Carousel production, produced by Stopgap Dance Company.
In 2020, Chris became Artist in Residence at Watts Gallery, as part of this choreographing Beyond The Waves for dance film, a project supported by DAiSY (Disability Arts In Surrey) and Stopgap Dance Company.
Chris continues to lead and support with creative learning outreach work, delivering workshops and leading choreographic residencies in schools and community groups across the UK.
Chris is proud to be chosen by Mencap as someone with Down Syndrome achieving excellence in his career and is ambitious and eager to continue developing.
Chris has collaborated with Stopgap on Triple Bill, Double Booked, Portfolio Collection, Tracking, Trespass, SPUN Productions, Artificial Things, The Seafarers, The Journey Between, Moon Language, Beyond The Waves and Echoes from the Earth.