Dance Psychology Lab
A deeper understanding of the way you dance
- How does dancing help people with Parkinson’s disease?
- How can the way we move help us solve problems?
- And what do our dance-floor gyrations tell us about ourselves – and how we feel about others?
The unique Dance Psychology Lab at the University of Hertfordshire explores these fascinating questions and more, enhancing the public’s understanding of dancing and the relationships between creativity and science.
Whether you’re a professional dancer, dance teacher, psychologist, health worker or just someone who simply loves to get their groove on, the Dance Psychology Lab wants to work with you.
Inspiring courses
If you’re a psychology student wanting to take your studies to a higher level or a former dancer searching for a new challenge, you can take a masters or PhD in dance psychology at the University of Hertfordshire.
You’ll benefit from our exciting multidisciplinary approach to experimental research, world-class facilities and highly respected teaching in a supportive and inspiring environment.
To apply, you’ll need a first degree in Psychology (2:1 or above) or relevant dance experience through performing, teaching or choreographing.
Contact us for more details about our inspiring courses.
Insightful research
We carry out leading-edge research that contributes to public health and provides a greater understanding of ourselves and our relationships. Research explores how dancing can improve the health and wellbeing of people with a range of conditions, including cardiovascular disease and Parkinson’s. It also investigates how dancing in different ways enables or hinders the way we learn.
We are also interested in the relationship between our genetic make-up and dancing, the way we move in social situations and how this relates to the mate-selection process. Finally, we are building a growing database on self-esteem and dance confidence and how they differ between professional and recreational dancers, and non-dancers.
We are always looking for people to take part in our studies and welcome interest from those looking to contribute to or benefit from our research.
Expert consultancy
The Dance Psychology Lab collaborates with a wide range of organisations and individuals, offering advice and expertise on a variety of projects.
Recently, we have worked with the Department of Health on initiatives to tackle obesity and with publishers to help young people learn more about dancing.
Dance school and public collaborations
We love dancing, we love the science behind it and we want to share that passion with dancers, teachers and the wider public.
Our academics are available for public lectures and media appearances, and are keen to work with dance schools to explore the boundaries between dance and psychology.
About Dr Peter Lovatt
The founder and director of the Dance Psychology Lab, Dr Peter Lovatt is a former professional dancer. He trained in Dance and Musical Theatre at the Guildford School of Acting and earned his living dancing in shows in the UK and internationally.
On returning to university, Peter gained a BSc in Psychology & English, MSc in Neural Computation and PhD in Psychology before completing postdoctoral work in English and Applied Linguistics at Cambridge.
By launching the Dance Psychology Lab, Peter’s aim is to combine his passion for dance with his fascination for psychology in order to make significant contributions to our understanding in this engaging field.
Find out more
To find out more about our courses or working with the Dance Psychology Lab, please email us at dance@herts.ac.uk or call on +44 (0) 1707 281340.