Before the pandemic hit, I would go to pubs and clubs almost every weekend. And not just to drink a few beers, see my mates and have a laugh. Primarily, I wanted to dance. To me, dancing is the most important part of going out. On the dance floor, you can be surrounded by a hundred strangers and still express yourself without shame or self-consciousness. There’s an unwritten rule: you can go bonkers on the dance floor, and nobody will care. You don’t need to focus on anything, crack jokes or engage in deep chats – you just move in your own way.
We live in a still and dance-less world. It’s frowned upon at weddings, not recommended in pubs, and in many places only possible in our own homes. Ironically, this is a time when we would most benefit from it. “Dancing forms a connection with the emotional centres in your brain,” said dance psychologist Dr. Peter Lovatt, in The Telegraph. “A lot of people consider dancing to be an emotional outlet. Dancing often releases pure happiness but also sadness. It’s cathartic. It’s letting go of what’s bottled up.”
Dr Peter Lovatt spent over 20 years working as a university academic. He set up the Dance Psychology Lab to understand dance and dancers from a psychological, scientific perspective. His research has been published in peer-reviewed journals and his teaching has been highly commended. Find out more about his academic life here
Peter Lovatt is an author and he has written two books: “The Dance Cure, the surprising secret to being smarter, stronger, happier” was first published by Short Books in the UK in 2020. “Dance Psychology, the science of dance and dancers” was first published in the UK in 2018. Peter has also writes commissioned articles. Find out more about his writing life here
Peter Lovatt is an international keynote speaker who delivers groovy keynotes which inspire, entertain and get minds and pulses racing. Peter has given keynote talks around the world and he has worked with organisations from different sectors, for example, in the banking, tech, creative, education, health and automotive industries. Find out more about his keynotes here
Peter Lovatt is a founding director of the Movement in Practice Academy. The Movement in Practice Academy is a specialist provider of education in the psychology of movement and dance. Movement in Practice Academy is an accredited provider of Continuing Professional Development (CPD), Continuing Education (CE) and Continuing Professional Education (CPE), providing both anytime learning and scheduled face-to-face learning opportunities. Find out more about Movement in Practice Academy here
Peter Lovatt became known as Dr Dance through his TV and media work. He first appeared as Dr Dance on the Graham Norton Show (BBC) in 2008 and Dr Dance has since made over 1000 appearances across all major UK TV and radio networks, in magazines and newspapers and on stage. Dr Dance has made several stage shows, including “Dance Dr Dance” (2010), “INSPIRED Psychology Danced” (2011) and “Boogie on the Brain” (2018). Find out more about Dr Dance here
Peter Lovatt lives on the beautiful north Norfolk coast with his partner and their two sons.
Find out more about Peter’s latest news here
