Dorothy Heathcote studied theatre in the Northern Theatre School in Bradford, with Esme Church and Rudolph Laban. After working freelance for several years, she taught at the University of Durham and later at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. For thirty-six years, Dorothy was a tutor to the advanced course in Education Through Drama at Masters and Diploma levels until her retirement. During most of that time, she traveled abroad, teaching in many countries, primarily at universities throughout the United States and Canada.