Ms Sally Doughty

Sally Doughty has an international reputation as a facilitator and performer of improvisational practices, and has established her profile over two decades as an artist and academic in the field. She has choreographed, taught and performed in USA, Latvia, Mexico, Berlin, Brussels, Paris, Estonia and variously throughout the UK. Her published articles (Choreographic Practices; Performance Research;  Research in Dance Education and Theatre Insight) and book chapters emerge from her practice and she writes from a first person perspective – privileging the voice of the artist herself. Recent chapters include Body, Space, Object: Dialogues between Art and Dance; body^space^object (2020); Dance Fields: Where is Dance Studies now? (2020), and The Oxford Handbook of Improvisation (2019).  Sally is produced by Dance4 (UK) and supported by Arts Council England for several practice research projects: Renaissance (2015) in which she interrogated making improvised dance performance for mid-scale venues; This is... (2017), which interrogates memory and improvisation;  Body of Knowledge (2016) and Please Do Touch (2018), which focus on investigating and promoting the dancer’s body as a corporeal archive. Each project has culminated in practical and published outputs. Sally is co-Principal Investigator in a research project that addresses The identity of hybrid dance artist-academics working across academia and the professional arts sector. Sally supervises Doctoral and Masters students and teaches across studio and classroom based modules at undergraduate level. 

• Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Dance (CIRID)
• Institute of Drama, Dance and Performance Studies

View a full listing of Sally Doughty's publications and outputs.

PRACTICAL OUTPUTS:

DOUGHTY, S., KENDALL, L. and KRISCHE, R. (2020) 'Please Do Touch'. Performance at Leicester Gallery. Friday 28 February 2020.

DOUGHTY, S., KENDALL, L. and KRISCHE, R. (2019) ‘Please Do Touch’, at Modes of Capture: The Capturing of Process in Contemporary Dance-Making conference. Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick, Ireland.  22nd June 2019.

DOUGHTY, S., KENDALL, L. and KRISCHE, R. (2018) 'Please Do Touch'. Performance at Leicester New Walk Museum and Arts Gallery. Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 December 2018.

DOUGHTY S. and SHENTON, P. (2018) ‘This is…', at Performatica International Dance Festival. Cholula, Mexico. 15 March 2018.

DOUGHTY S. and SHENTON, P. (2017) ‘This Is… Where We Are Now’, at Dance Fields: Staking a Claim for Dance in the 21st Century. Roehampton University, London, Friday 21 April 2017.

DOUGHTY, S. et al (2017) Body of Knowledge at Nottingham Castle Museum and Arts Gallery, NottDance International Festival, Sunday 12 March 2017.

DOUGHTY, S. and KRISCHE, R. (2016) ‘Handle with Care’, at InDialogue conference, Nottingham Contemporary, Thursday 1 December 2016.

DOUGHTY, S. (2015) 'Hourglass' at Backlit Gallery, Nottingham, 12 May 2015. Commissioned by Dance4.

DOUGHTY, S. et al (2015) Renaissance, at Dance4 International Centre for Choreography, NottDance International Festival, Friday 10 March 2017; Nottingham Playhouse, 13 July 2016.

DOUGHTY, S. (2011). I Think Not, thefidget space, Philadelphia, USA, 9 November 2012; Polymer Culture Factory and Kumu Art Museum, Tallinn, Estonia, 20 and 21 October 2012; Embrace Arts Centre, Leicester, 8 March 2012.

DOUGHTY, S (2007) une danse pour la radio: deux, SDHS/CORD Conference on Rethinking Practice and Theory, June, Paris. 

DOUGHTY,  S. (2006) a dance for radio. Laiks Dejot Festival, Riga, Latvia (2007); Royal Opera House, London (2006); Nottdance International Dance Festival, Nottingham (2006); University of Texas at Austin (2006); Laban Centre, London (2006, 2008); Cultural Exchanges, DMU, Leicester (2006/2008/2012)

PUBLICATIONS:

DOUGHTY, S. and SHENTON, P. (2020) ‘This Is… Where We Are Now’ in David, A., Huxley, M. and Whatley, S. (eds) Dance Fields: Where is Dance Studies Now? Hampshire, Dance Books. pp: 204-217.

DOUGHTY, S. (2020) 'Hourglass: Mark-making In and As Performance'. In: Journeaux, J., Gorrill, H., Reed, S. (Eds.) Body, Space, and Place in Collective and Collaborative Drawing: Drawing Conversations II. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars. pp 67-84.

DOUGHTY, S. (2019) ‘I Notice That I’m Noticing…’ in Midgelow, V. (ed). Oxford Handbook of Improvisation. Oxford, Oxford University Press. pp 119-134.

DOUGHTY, S. et al. (2018) ‘The Holding Space: Body of (as) Knowledge’ in forthcoming body^space^object edited collection. Basingstoke, Palgrave Publishers. Publication date tbc.

DOUGHTY, S. and Fitzpatrick, M. (2016) ‘The Identity of Hybrid Dance Artist- Academics Working Across Academia and the Professional Arts Sector’ in Choreographic Practices: Questioning the Contemporary in 21st Century British Dance. Intellect Press. Vol 7(1), April 2016

DOUGHTY, S. et al. (2015) ‘Will You Play? Implications of Audience Interventions in Improvised Dance Performance’ in Choreographic Practices: Questioning the Contemporary in 21st Century British Dance. Intellect Press. Vol 6(2), October 2015.

DOUGHTY, S. et al (2008) Technological enhancements in the teaching and learning of reflective and creative practice in dance, Research in Dance Education. 9: 2, pp.129 – 146.

DOUGHTY, S, and MANGAN, M. (2004) On Civility – Quarantine Theatre’s EatEat, ‘Performance Research Journal’, December: 10:1. 

PERFORMATIVE CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS:

DOUGHTY, S. (2016) ‘Body Of/As Knowledge’. Performance presentation at the Body^Space^Object^Memory^Identity conference, Coventry University, Friday 20 May 2016

DOUGHTY, S. (2015) ‘Hourglass: Archive as Muse’. Performance presentation at Questioning the Contemporary: Rethinking Process, Practice and Product in 21stCentury Contemporary Dance Practices symposium at Leeds Beckett University, 16-17th October 2015.

DOUGHTY, S. et al. (2014) ‘Keep That…Leave That! Implications for the Audience in Co-Authored Improvised Performance’ at Questioning the Contemporary in 21st Century Dance Practices Symposium, Leeds Metropolitan University, 18 July 2014.

CONFERENCE PAPERS:

DOUGHTY, S. (2017) 'Hourglass: Mark-Making in and as Performance' at Drawing Conversations 2: Body, Space, Object Conference, Coventry University, Friday 8 December 2017.

DOUGHTY, S. and FITZPATRICK, M. (2017) ‘The Identity of the Hybrid Dance Artist/Academic’. Keynote speech at Challenging Futures in Dance, Drama and Music conference. University of Huddersfield, 7 and 8 April 2017.       

DOUGHTY, S. and FITZPATRICK, M. (2014) Mapping the Landscape: The Identity of Dance Artist-Scholars Working Across Academia and the Professional Arts Sector, at Independent Dance, London, 17 September 2014; Questioning the Contemporary in 21st Century Dance Practices, Leeds Metropolitan University, 18 July 2014; Inventing Futures conference, ArtEZ, Arnhem, The Netherlands. Tuesday 3 December 2013.

DOUGHTY, S. and FRANCKSEN, K. (2014) ‘Emergent Learning Strategies: Inspiring the Learners’ Sense of Agency and Autonomy through Practice’ at the HEA Annual Conference, Aston University, Birmingham, July 2014.   

DOUGHTY, S. (2006) Improvisation: What Do I Do and Why Do I Do It? PALATINE Improvisation Pedagogy Study Day, Leeds School of Music, May 2006 and Teacher Fellow Conference, ‘Teaching and Research: Forging new relationships’, DMU, June.

DOUGHTY, S. and STEVENS, J. (2002) ‘Seeing Myself Dance: Video and Reflective Learning in Dance Technique’ delivered at the Finding the Balance Conference at Liverpool John Moores University, 21 – 23 June 2002.

EXHIBITIONS:

DOUGHTY, S. (2015) ‘Hourglass’ at Theatre and Performance Research Association (TaPRA) Practice-as-Research Exhibition at the University of Worcester, 8 – 10 September 2015.

                                                                                                             

• Corporeal/extended archives
• Memory/autobiography
• Improvisation as performance
• Improvisation as a means of generating movement in the rehearsal process for a fixed performance
• Practice as research
• Documentation and articulation of processes/practices involved in performance making and doing
• Contemporary choreography
• The practice of performing
• Reflective practice:
  - developing a framework that develops analytical and reflective skills in those involved in movement improvisation
  - employing a range of technology/media to support student’s learning
• Pedagogic Research

• Movement improvisation
• Contact improvisation
• Choreography
• Performance 
• Contemporary dance technique
• Promoting dance
• Reflective practice
• Documentation of practice

MA by Independent Study: improvisation as a creative tool in the rehearsal process

BA (Hons) Performing Arts: Dance

• BA (Hons) Dance
• BA (Hons) Performing Arts
• MA Performance Practices

DMU Teacher Fellow, 1 August 2010. For excellence in teaching and learning.

DMU Vice-Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award, 2009. Voted by students for outstanding teaching.

2015 - 2016: Board Member for Decoda

2012–2016: Board member for UK Young Artists.

2007 – 2009: Member of the project advisory board for "Embodied Generative Music: An Investigation of the Relation Between Bodily and Musical Expression", an art/science research project based at the University of Music and Dramatic Arts, Graz, Austria.

Fellow of the HEA (2002) 

Please Do Touch

Body of Knowledge

DOUGHTY, S. (2017) ‘Hourglass: Mark-Making in and as Performance’ at Drawing Conversations 2: Body, Space, Object conference, Coventry University, Friday 8 December 2017.

DOUGHTY, S. and FITZPATRICK, M. (2017) ‘The Identity of the Hybrid Dance Artist/Academic’. Keynote speech at Challenging Futures in Dance, Drama and Music conference. University of Huddersfield, 7 and 8 April 2017.       

DOUGHTY, S. (2016) ‘Body Of/As Knowledge’. Performance presentation at the Body^Space^Object^Memory^Identity conference, Coventry University, Friday 20 May 2016

DOUGHTY, S. (2016) Managed and curated symposium: Dance Improvisation: The Estranged Cousin, at Attenborough Arts Centre, Leicester. Saturday 12 March 2016.

DOUGHTY, S. (2015) ‘Hourglass: Archive as Muse’. Performance presentation at Questioning the Contemporary: Rethinking Process, Practice and Product in 21stCentury Contemporary Dance Practices symposium at Leeds Beckett University, 16-17th October 2015.

DOUGHTY, S. and FITZPATRICK, M. (2014) Mapping the Landscape: The Identity of Dance Artist-Scholars Working Across Academia and the Professional Arts Sector, at Independent Dance, London, 17 September 2014; Questioning the Contemporary in 21st Century Dance Practices, Leeds Metropolitan University, 18 July 2014; Inventing Futures conference, ArtEZ, Arnhem, The Netherlands. Tuesday 3 December 2013.

DOUGHTY, S. et al. (2014) ‘Keep That…Leave That! Implications for the Audience in Co-Authored Improvised Performance’ at Questioning the Contemporary in 21st Century Dance Practices Symposium, Leeds Metropolitan University, 18 July 2014.

DOUGHTY, S. and FRANCKSEN, K. (2014) ‘Emergent Learning Strategies: Inspiring the Learners’ Sense of Agency and Autonomy through Practice’ at the HEA Annual Conference, Aston University, Birmingham, July 2014.   

DOUGHTY, S. (2012) Thinking about I Think Not,  at the Improvisation Practices Symposium, University of Northampton, 26 June 2012. 

DOUGHTY, S. (2006) Improvisation: What Do I Do and Why Do I Do It? PALATINE Improvisation Pedagogy Study Day, Leeds School of Music, May 2006 and Teacher Fellow Conference, ‘Teaching and Research: Forging new relationships’, DMU, June.

DOUGHTY, S. and STEVENS, J. (2002) ‘Seeing Myself Dance: Video and Reflective Learning in Dance Technique’ delivered at the Finding the Balance Conference at Liverpool John Moores University, 21 – 23 June 2002.

Marguerite Galizia, PhD in Dance (awarded DMU Graduate Bursary), Multiplying the Self: technology and solo choreographic practice. 1^st Supervisor.

Angharad Harrop, PhD in Dance, Embodiment and Performance: The use of folk and cultural dance in choreographic practice and performance. 1^st Supervisor.

Jessica Murray, PhD in Dance (awarded AHRC-funded Midlands4Cities Doctoral Training Partnership) Facilitating collective dramaturgy in dance and music collaborative improvisation from the perspective of Rhythm Tap practice. 1^stSupervisor. 

Lucy Ovenall, PhD in Drama (awarded DMU High Flyers Scholarship), Can we play now?: Reapplying historical feminist discourse to the hierarchical and patriarchal structures of contemporary British theatre practices. 2^ndSupervisor.

Matthias Sperling, PhD in Choreography (awarded AHRC-funded Midlands3Cities Doctoral Training Partnership), No-How Generator. 1^st Supervisor.

2018: As PI, Grant for the Arts, Arts Council England (£11,039) to undertake Please Do Touch research project.

2016: As PI, Grant for the Arts, Arts Council England (£5,100) to undertake the Body of Knowledge research project,

2015: As PI, Grant for the Arts, Arts Council England (£13,170) to undertake the Renaissance research project and I plan to submit a second application in 2018 to produce the work.

2015: As PI, I performance commission of £7,860 from Dance4 to interrogate improvised performance

2013: As CI, Grant for the Arts, Arts Council England (£13,000) to support and develop activities and audience engagement as part of Quick Shifts improvisation collective.

2004: As PI, AHRC small grant funding (£3,832) for practice-based research project The still moving body – disposing of, recycling and documenting improvisation that resulted in a performance output, a dance for radio.

Improvisation: what do I do and why do I do it?  Pedagogic Research Project funded by Centre for Excellence in Performing Arts, De Montfort University.  2006 and 2007.  Sole researcher. 

2017: Keynote address on Hybrid Dance Artist-Academic research project at Challenging Futures in Dance, Drama and Music conference, University of Huddersfield, 8 April 2017.Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy 2012/2012: peer reviewer

2016: Granted University Research Leave from January – May 2016.

2014: Invited by Dance4 to represent the UK in an international online conversation with artists from Australia and India. Friday 28 November 2014.

2013: Interviewed for the leading Korean dance journal Dance and People (2013, Vol 8: p.82)

BOOK REVIEWS:

BUCKWALTER, M. (2010) Composing While Dancing: An Improviser’s Companion, Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin. Review published in Dance Research Journal (2013) 31(2): pp.216 – 217.

BUTCHER, R. and MELROSE, S (eds) (2005) Rosemary Butcher: Choreography, Collisions and Collaborations. Middlesex, Middlesex University Press. Review published in Research in Dance Education, (2008) 9(1), pp 107-109.

GERE, D and COOPER ALBRIGHT, A. (2003) Taken by Surprise: A Dance Improvisation Reader.  Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press.

PEER REVIEWER:

2014: Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices

2012: Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy:

2008: Dancelines

Cited in:

BURT, R. (2009).  History, memory, and the virtual in current European dance practice, Dance Chronicle, 32:1–26.

BROCKBANK, A. and McGILL, I. (2007). Facilitating reflective learning in Higher Education, 2^nd ed. Berkshire, The Society for Research in Higher Education and Open University Press, pp128.

DE SPAIN, K. (2014) Topography of movement improvisation, Oxford University Press.

TEMBRIOTI, L. and TSANGARIDOU, N. (2014) Reflective practice in dance: a review of the literature. Research in Dance Education. 15(1): pp4-22.