Dr Peter Lovatt is a psychologist and former university lecturer who teaches the science and practice of movement, helping people think, feel, connect, and live better through dance.
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An Introduction to Dance Psychology
Learn how movement changes the way we think, feel, connect and perform.
Live 8-week course with Dr Peter Lovatt
- Starts July 15, 2026
- Thursdays 2-4pm (UK time)
- Includes 2 private 1:1 sessions
£499 | Limited places available
The Psychology of Dance.
An Introduction to Dance Psychology is a course about how movement transforms the human mind, grounded in psychology, tested in the real world, and taught live by one of the leading voices in the field.
Most people intuitively feel that dance and movement are powerful, but they don’t know why it works, how it works or how to apply it in real-world settings. As a result, the potential of movement is underused in health, education, and performance.
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Understand the science of dance and movement
- Explain how movement affects thinking, emotion, and social connection
- Critically evaluate research in dance psychology
- Apply dance psychology in real-world contexts (health, education, workplace)
- Begin developing your own dance-based interventions or ideas
From the Lab to Public Engagement
Dance Psychology Lab
Hello, my name is Dr Peter Lovatt. I’m a Psychologist with a special interest in movement and dance. I set up the Dance Psychology Lab at a university in 2008 to study dance and dancers from a scientific, psychological perspective. Working with a team of talented psychologists, students, dancers and clinicians I wanted to understand how people are influenced by movement and dance.
Dance Psychology Research Programme
For the next twelve years we carried out research looking at the social, thinking, emotional and physical consequences of dance and movement. We worked with dancers, non-dancers, and people who use dance as part of therapeutic interventions (for example, people with Parkinson’s disease). What we found was that different types of dance and movement have different impacts on people both psychologically and physically.
Public Engagement
Aside from the core research, what I loved most was the opportunity to tell people outside of the research community about the impact of dance and movement on people’s social relationships, their thinking and problem-solving, their emotions and on their physical make up. I’ve been amazed by how relevant these findings are to people in different sectors all around the world. But fundamentally, we’re all human and we all move in different ways.
Applied Dance Psychology
Since leaving the university sector in 2019, I’ve been working on ways to apply dance and movement interventions in the real world. Aiming to create movement frameworks that can be used by people in everyday life. For example, working with Dame Darcey Bussell and Lindsey Lovatt, we created the Move-Assure Dance for Mental Wellbeing Programme, and working with Lindsey we have created the Dancing with Cancer Programme. We have also worked with organisations to create bespoke movement plans to help them bring about specific behavioural and psychological changes.
What people are saying
The Doctor Dance Academy
After teaching at universities for over 25 years (from Cambridge University to the Royal Ballet School), I set up the Doctor Dance Academy to teach people the principles and practices of dance psychology, and how to apply them in the real world.
Books
I’ve written two books based on the psychology of dance. My most recent book: The Dance Cure, the surprising secret to being smarter, stronger, happier, was written for the general reader. My previous book: Dance Psychology, the science of Dance and Dancers, was written for a more specialised reader.
“Peter has brilliantly put into words what I’ve felt my whole life: that the power of dance can liberate and change all our lives.”
Dame Darcey Bussell
Dancing Together
I love to dance, and I love dancing with other people. This is an excerpt from my closing session at the Norwegian National Dance Conference in Oslo in January 2026. After all, you have to practice what you preach.
If you’re exploring keynote speakers for an upcoming conference or event, the next step is to find out whether a Doctor Dance keynote is the right fit for your audience.
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