Launched in September 2006, mapdance is University of Chichester’s MA Student Performance Company jointly directed by Jerwood Award Winner, Yael Flexer (Bedlam Dance Company) and Detta Howe (Ginger Dance Theatre). mapdance has established itself as an exciting company of young, dynamic dancers recruited nationally and internationally, performing a diverse repertoire by renowned and upcoming contemporary choreographers.

“mapdance is very much one of the leading players in terms of graduate performance of contemporary dance … it transcended what we may perceive to be student dance and held its own in terms of disciplined, focussed and innovative work from a very accomplished young ensemble.” Adrian Berry Director of Jackson’s Lane, London

This year the company is performing works by Nigel Charnock, Matteo Fargion, Saju Hari, Detta Howe and Kiera Martin.  A mixed repertory that offers a refreshing mixture of dance theatre, intricate lyrical choreography, fluid released movement and intriguing humour.  It is a programme with something for everyone and will appeal to both the experienced dance-goer and to audiences new to dance.

In addition to the performance programme, mapdance also offers a range of educational work including residencies, one-off workshops and the opportunity for young people to perform alongside the company, opening the show with a specially created ‘curtain raiser’ – guaranteed to bring an audience of friends and family.

The University of Brighton and the University of Chichester have secured an Art & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) PhD studentships. Block Grant Partnership totalling 21 studentship awards over three years. The University of Chichester is inviting application for a Professional Preparation Masters’ award for mapdance to commence in October 2012 at the University of Chichester.

Please visit our Bursary page for more information

Marisa Zanotti, BA

Senior Lecturer in Dance, MA Coordinator, Makers’ Pathway Coordinator
Core Modules: Reflective Practice, Compositional Practice.

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Cathy Childs BA, PGCert

Principal Lecturer in Dance and Head of Dance Subject Area,  MA Performance Pathway Coordinator
Core Modules: Techniques for Performance.

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Yael Flexer MA

Artistic Director of mapdance touring company
Research/Publications: Investigating intimacy in performance for practice-based PhD.

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Detta Howe BA, Advanced Performance Diploma

Co artistic Director of mapdance touring company.

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Ann Nugent MA, PhD

Senior Lecturer in Dance, Independent Researchers’ Pathway Coordinator
Core Modules: Independent Research Projects, Dissertation.

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Sarah Rubidge B.Ed (Hons), MPhil, PhD

Professor in Choreography and New Media
Core Modules: Dissertation.

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Andrea Davidson BA, MA, DEA, PhD

Senior Lecturer in Dance
Core Modules: Reflective Practice, Dissertation.

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Clare Parfitt-Brown BA, MA, PhD

Senior Lecturer in Dance
Core Modules: Reflective Practice, Dissertation.

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Jill Hayes MA PGCE MSc., Cert. Counselling, Cert. Creative Arts Therapies, MA, PhD

Senior Lecturer in Dance
Option Modules: Experiencing Arts Therapies, Embodying the Myth.

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Nanette Kincaid

Contemporary Technique. Find out more>>

Charlie Morrissey

Contact Improvisation. Find out more>>

Richard Slaughter

Ballet. Find out more>>

Fiona Wallis

Ballet. Find out more>>

Nigel Charnock is a founder member of DV8 and formed his own company – Nigel Charnock + Company in 1995.  A maverick and totally captivating performer, Nigel ruptures the boundaries of performance using different disciplines and media to redefine dance as a genre.

NIgel has a string of internaltionally acclaimed shows to his name and was Artistic Director of Helsinki Dance Company 2002-5.  He is well known for his unique solo performances including Human Being, Hell Bent, Original Sin and Resurrection.  His solo ‘Frank’ toured internationally from 2002 to 2010.  ‘Stupid Men’ a totally improvised piece for four men was made in 2009.  His latest solo ‘One Dixon Road’ began touring in 2011.  Nigel has recently created works in Canada with Louise Lacavalier, and a new piece, ‘Revolution’ was premiered in Hungary this year.  A new collaboration with Jazz pionist Gwilym Simcock was performed at the London Jazz Fextival in November last year.  Currently Nigel is working on a new show for ten gay men which will previere in 2012.

Matteo Fargion

Matteo was born in Milan in 1961.  He studied composition with Kevin Volans and Howard Skempton.

His interest in contemporary dance began after seeing the Merce Cunningham Dance Company perform at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre, returning the following evening to give flowers to the dancers.   This experience encouraged him to apply for the International Course for Choreographers and Composers in 1989, where he first wrote music for dance, and through which he met the choreographer Jonathan Burrows with whom he has collaborated since.  Burrows and Fargion have made a series of five duets conceived, choreographed, composed, administrated and performed together.  They have given over 200 performances across 28 countries.

Fargion has worked with other choreographers including Lynda Gaudreau, Jeremy James and Russel Maliphant.  Over the past fifteen yeas he has developed a strong collaboration with Siobhan Davies, writing music for, and later performing in, some of her most significant recent work.

Matteo also writes for theatre, particularly in Germany, where he has worked at the Residenz Theater Munich, and at the Berlin Schaubuhne under the direction of Thomas Ostermeier.  Matteo is also active as a teacher, and is a visiting member of faculty at P.A.R.T.S.

Saju Hari

Born in Kerala (South India) and living in the UK, Saju graduated in Electronics Engineering in Bangalore, before training in contrmporary dance and martial art Kalaripayattu with Jayachandran at Attakkalari.  He toured with Imlata Dance in City Maps and TransAvatar in India, Germany and Switzerland (1998 – 2003).

Since moving to London in 2003, Saju has danced with Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company, Filip van Huffel, Lisa Torun and Rashpal Singh Bansal, and with Bedlam Dance Company.

Saju danced the lead in Holst’s opera Savriti (City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra), worked on the West End musical The Far Pavillion and Jatinder Verma’s The Merchant of Venice (Tara Arts).

Most recently Saju featured in Akram Khan Company’s Bahok, a collaboration with the National Ballet of China that has toured internationally.  His own choreographies commissioned by The Place and Royal Opera House new: currents have included Opaque Image, Re: URGENT and Inside Out and his collaboration Lunatic Express with Kenyan dancer Kebaya Moturi explored the 1890s building of the Neirobi railroad by Aftican and Indian labour.  Saju attended the prestigious Vienna Dance WEB Summer school (2006) on scholarship, participated in Kim Brandstrup’s Dance: lines choreolab (Royal Opera House 2006), and won an Arts Council International Fellowship to study in Nairobi 2007, as well as a theatre rites bursary.  Saju was a semi finalist as a choreographer in the ‘Place Prize’ competition in London.

Detta Howe

Detta has been based in Hampshire for 17 years as an independent dance artist, choreographer, performer and teacher.  She has choreographed over 25 works for her company Ginger Dance Theatre.  IN 2010-11 she was selected for Hampshire Dance’s Associate Dance Artist Scheme, which has enabled her to undertake a programme of professional development including participation in the 2011 Impuls Tanz festival in Vienna.

Detta is a full time Senior Lecrurer at the University of Chichester where she is teaching on both the BA and MA programmes and directing mapdance. She is also undertaking her own Independent Research MA where she is challenging her current working processes and exploring her continued curiosity about the dancing body.

Detta has worked with youth groups, schools, colleges, adult groups and children in a variety of projects, contexts and settings and brings a wealth of experience in suporting the education programme of mapdance.

Keira Martin

Keira trained in traditional Irish step dance at an early age in South Yorkshire, which she competed in at an international level.  After graduating from Northern School of Contemporary Dance she furthered her studies at New School for Dance Developoment in Amsterdam.

She has performed professionally with Kompany Malakhi, Assault Events, Charlerio/PlanK, Biserk Dance, State of Emergency, Bermuda Dance Co, Nathan Trice Dance Rituals, Spirit of The Dance and undertaken projects with Jonathan Burrows, Yolande Snaith, Bawren Tavaziva, Beth Cassani, Donald Edwards, and Yael Flexer.  In 2005 she founded Keira Dance a fusion of contemporary and Irish Dance styles using live music and song.  The company has toured the UK including Purcell Rooms at Queen Elizabeth Hall May 2008, based and supported by the Corn Exchange and New Greenham Arts Centre in Newbury Berkshire through their Evolve programme.  In 2007 she received the first Alpha Associates award from Swindon Dance.  Keira has been commissioned to choreograph various youth pieces in the UK and Bermuda, pieces including: Ludus Youth Dance, North Yorkshire County Youth Company and Hampshire Youth Dance Company.