Senior Lecturer and Course Coordinator for BA (Hons) Dance and Professional Practice

Prior to working in the university sector, Sadie's early career was as a dance teacher in secondary schools. She progressed to Head of Department and Director of Dance, setting up and running dance departments within two large secondary schools. As part of her role as a teacher in the early 2000s Sadie began to explore community arts practices through projects between schools and communities. She set up numerous community dance projects between different schools, nurseries, residential care homes, children's homes and with various council led initiatives. Through these projects Sadie began to develop an inclusive dance and teaching practice, which she was able to explore and research further through an MA, leading to her founding Shunt Dance and Education and leaving the school sector to work as a community dance artist.

As a community dance artist she has worked extensively with a range of participants aged 3 to 103, in varied community and educational settings. Sadie’s practice focuses on developing dance practices for all bodies in all communities and over the years has built an applied inclusive dance practice for all. This practice underpins her research and projects include researching the impact of intergenerational dance practices, dance for older participants, dance in specialist school settings, the importance of racial representation for young dancers and the impact of inclusive dance practices for disabled children and young adults. Sadie is a Senior Lecturer in Dance and leads the undergraduate Dance and Professional Practice degree.

Qualifications

• BA (Hons) Dance Studies, Roehampton University
• PGCE Secondary Dance, De Montfort University
• MA Choreography, Middlesex University
• PGCAP, University of Bedfordshire

Teaching Expertise

• Release technique
• Choreographic practices
• Community Dance/ Arts practices
• Dance pedagogic practices

Research Interests

• Arts pedagogy, with a focus on the role and benefits of undergraduate practice led research experiences
• Community Dance Practices, particularly the benefits of the arts for older people and intergenerational arts experiences
• Dance and creative practices and motherhood (performance poetry)
• Dance Education

Research Projects

• Undergraduate research, Junior Research Institutes, 2009 to present
• Some Suggestions for Being Good Performance Project, 2010

Publications

• Hunt, S. (2010) Junior Research Institutes: an exploration into the need for, creation of and benefits to developing undergraduate initiatives. University of Bedfordshire publication
• Hunt, S. (2009). A Day of Firsts, Movement and Dance Magazine, vol. 28, no.2

Other refereed and/or non-published conference contributions:

• Hunt, S. (2015) ‘Undergraduate research schemes as a tool to acquire cultural capital’, Improving University Teaching Conference, Ljubljana University , Slovenia, 17^th July 2015
• Hunt, S. (2015) ‘Capital acquisition through a dance degree’, Currency, Value and Labour conference, Royal Holloway University, 20^th February 2015
• Hunt, S (2014) Developing undergraduate research schemes at the University of Bedfordshire, British Council of Undergraduate Research, University of Nottingham, 15th April 2014 (I also took 3 students who had been engaged in the Junior Research Institute to present their research at this conference)
• Hunt, S (2013) 'The value of junior research institutes: enhancing the cultural capital of our graduates', The student as producer conference, Lincoln University, 27th June 2013
• Hunt, S (2012) ‘The value of JRI: enhancing the cultural capital of our graduates as degrees potentially become symbolic capital’, Going for Gold Conference, University of Bedfordshire, Luton, 4^th July 2012
• Hunt, S. (2012) ‘Junior Research Institutes; encouraging non assessed practice led research as a model for developing research active dance artists within academia’ Performance Studies International #18 Performance: Culture: Industry conference, Leeds University, 28^th June 2012
• Hunt, S. (2012) ‘Junior Research Institutes; encouraging non assessed practice led research as a model for developing research active dance artists within academia’, Council on Undergraduate Research Conference, Weber State University, Ogden, Utah, USA, 30^th March 2012
• Hunt, S. (2010) 'Junior Research Institutes: benefits to developing undergraduate research initiatives.' Presented on 6th July at University of Bedfordshire Conference; Bridging the Gaps

Professional Practice

• Some Suggestions for Being Good Resolution! 2010, Robin Howard Theatre, The Place, Euston, London, Feb 2010
• TestBeds, platform event, University of Bedfordshire 2010
• ShapeShift Resolution! 2009, Robin Howard Theatre, The Place, Euston, London, Jan 2009
• Constructive Nostalgia Performance of Site Specific Work in Grantham Lincolnshire, June 2007
• From Blackberry Jam Performance at Lakeview Theatre Jan 2007
• What Are You Looking At? Performance at Middlesex University Studio A Nov 2006

Invited Speaker

• Hunt, S. (2023) ‘Juggling the Stuggle: a conversation about motherhood and work’, International Women’s Day event at University of Bedfordshire: The Women’s Network
• Hunt, S. (2018) ‘The benefits of dance as you age’, Mind BLMK Wellbeing for later life conference: helping you age well, Bedford, 17^th May 2018
• Hunt, S. (2018) ‘Juggling, judgment and jest: the parent artist’, Future You, University of Northampton 7th February 2018
• Hunt, S. (2015) Junior Research Institutes; encouraging non assessed, research focused activity to enhance the student experience, employability and the notion of cultural capital acquisition through a degree. University of Bedfordshire Senior Leadership Team meeting, 27^th February 2015

Community/ Collaborative Projects

• U.Dance East, Bedford Platform: Easter Region Youth dance Platform, in collaboration with DanceEast and One Dance UK – 2020 (Digital Event) 2021, 2022 – on campus event for 100 young dancers from the region. Project Manager
• BedsDance Community Projects: 2019 – 2021 – Bedfordshire Dance Summer School and Ridgeway House Hip Hop Film Project. Project Manager
• Oakway House Seated Dance: 2019 – current – weekly seated dance class for residents of Oakway House and Charter House, Bedford. Class is bespoke to residents and their needs, aims to improve physical wellness, social wellness, and memory. Volunteer New Chapter member assists and UoB graduate volunteer also. Project manager and lead practitioner
• New Chapter Dance: 2018 – current Weekly dance class for participants aged over 55. The focus is on improving holistic wellbeing through physical, creative, musical and social dancing. Most recently in 2022 this project has joined forces with The Community Clinic and takes socially prescribed participants. Project Manager and Lead Practitioner
• Ridgeway School Project: 2015 – 2016, 2018 Integrated Dance project, leading on a project team with an NHS physiotherapist, staff from the Ridgeway School and university students to deliver weekly integrated dance workshops leading to performance with the school children with physical and learning disabilities. Project Manager and Lead Practitioner
• World Book Day project: March 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, collaborating with university students as partners to deliver a performing arts day in local middle school. Project Manager and Lead Practitioner
• On Track project: November – December 2010, training and working with a team of university students to lead a creative project with students from the On Track Education Service. Lead Practitioner
• North East Bedfordshire Learning Trust: pilot performing arts project June 2009, working with university students to develop roles as outreach community artists working in local schools to create a collaborative community performance platform. Co Producer

Contact details

T: +44 (0)1234 793295
E: sadie.hunt@beds.ac.uk