Dance was born in England to a successful Essex tobacco merchant in 1910. As a youth, he claimed he was … See more

While working in Essex, Dance continued to pursue his interest in music, listening to radio broadcasts and attending jazz concerts in London. He soon learned of Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller and Duke Ellington… See more

Dance and Oakley married in January 1947, and resided in England until moving to Connecticut in 1959. They made a lengthy trip to the US and Canada in the fall of 1946, both to re-connect with American bands as w… See more

Dance arrived in the US with a commission from EMI's English Columbia label to make proprietary jazz recordings (they had been leasing American titles). He again used his (and Helen's) contacts with the Ellington players to p… See more