Psychologist · Performer · Author
Dr Peter
Lovatt.
DOCTOR DANCE
The science of dance.
The stories that move us.
Peter Lovatt brings a psychologist’s curiosity and a performer’s instinct to television, radio and live audiences—exploring what movement can reveal about the way we think, feel and connect.
Former professional dancer · TV & radio contributor
Curiosity. Science. Movement.
Selected appearances
The Graham Norton Show
Strictly: It Takes Two
Dancing to Happiness
BBC Radio 4
Watch & listen
Peter on screen
and on air.
A conversation, a demonstration, a question worth exploring. Bringing the psychology of dance into entertainment, documentaries and everyday life.
Research, conversation and a little room to move.
Featured radio
Soul Music:
Sweet Caroline
BBC Radio 4 · August 2026
Why does a familiar song make us want to move? Peter contributes to this exploration of music, movement and the personal meaning of a much-loved song.
Selected television credits
Darcey Bussell:
Dancing to Happiness
BBC Two · Documentary contributor
Fear of Dancing
CBC documentary Channel · Documentary contributor
The Graham Norton Show
BBC Two · Guest appearance
Strictly Come Dancing:
It Takes Two
BBC Two · Contributor
DANCER → PSYCHOLOGIST → DOCTOR DANCE
Meet Peter
A dancer’s life.
A psychologist’s curiosity.
Peter Lovatt’s route into psychology was anything but conventional.
After struggling with reading throughout his school years, he trained in musical theatre and became a professional dancer. In his twenties, learning to read opened another door: a return to education that eventually led to a BSc, MSc and PhD.
He went on to work as a researcher at the University of Cambridge. In 2008, he brought his two worlds together by founding the Dance Psychology Lab at the University of Hertfordshire.
Today, Peter combines scientific enquiry with the experience of someone who has lived and worked on stage—exploring confidence, creativity, connection and the possibility of change.
PhD
Experimental Cognitive Psychology
Cambridge
Former university researcher
Dance Psychology Lab
Founded at Hertfordshire in 2008
For your next production
Science you can discuss.
Ideas you can demonstrate.
Research, conversation and practical demonstrations give audiences different ways into a subject.
01
Documentaries &
factual programmes
An expert contributor for stories about dance, the mind and human experience. Peter can help frame the questions, explain the research and explore how scientific ideas relate to people’s lives.
02
Entertainment &
studio appearances
Psychology with something to see, try and talk about. Peter can explain an idea, demonstrate it through movement and bring presenters and audiences into the conversation.
03
Radio, podcasts
& print
Conversations about music, movement, confidence, creativity and connection—with a personal story that opens up questions about education, reinvention and finding an unexpected path.
Peter welcomes discussions about authored documentaries and factual television and radio projects, alongside guest appearances and expert contributions.
Author
Exploring the science.
Telling the stories.
From accessible ideas for everyday life to a deeper exploration of the science of dance and dancers.
The Dance Cure
An accessible exploration of why we dance and what it can mean in our lives, bringing together research, personal stories and the experience of a dancer turned psychologist.
Short Books, UK · HarperOne, US
Shortlisted: 2020 Books Are My Bag Readers Awards, Non-Fiction
Dance
Psychology
The science of dance and dancers.
An introduction for readers who want to explore the research in greater depth, examining dance and dancers from a scientific, psychological perspective.
“Peter has brilliantly put into words what I have felt my whole dancing life…”
Dame Darcey Bussell · on The Dance Cure · excerpt from her endorsement
Questions worth exploring
What if…?
What happens when we take dance seriously—not just as a performance, but as a starting point for thinking differently about everyday life?
01
The Groove Café
What if your local café offered coffee, conversation and dancing? Could an everyday meeting place give people a new reason to connect?
02
A National Dance Service
What might change if trained dance professionals had a recognised, properly supported role in schools, communities and care settings?
03
Dancing and loneliness
What would a dance-based response to loneliness need to offer—and how would we know whether it was helping?
04
Dance, developed like medicine
What would it take to develop, test and deliver dance-based interventions with the rigour and resources we expect of new medicines?
The practical details
For producers,
journalists & agents.
Explore Peter’s biography, existing photographs and IMDb credits. For a particular brief, a current biography or a media-pack request, please get in touch.
Let’s start a conversation
Have a programme,
story or project
in mind?
For television, radio, documentary, press, publishing and representation enquiries, please contact Peter.
Please include your organisation, a short outline of the opportunity, the proposed role and any relevant dates.