Adam Dance

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific_prefix = Councillor

| name = Adam Dance

| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MP}}

| image = Official portrait of Adam Dance MP crop 2.jpg

| caption = Official portrait, 2024

| parliament = United Kingdom

| constituency_MP = Yeovil

| term_start = 4 July 2024

| term_end =

| predecessor = Marcus Fysh

| successor =

| majority = 12,268 (25.2%)

| office1 = Member of Somerset Council{{efn|Somerset County Council until 1 April 2023}} for South Petherton and Islemoor

| term_start1 = 8 May 2017

| term_end1 =

| office2 = Member of South Somerset District Council for South Petherton

| term_start2 = 11 May 2015

| term_end2 = 1 April 2023

| birth_name = Adam James Dance

| birth_date =

| birth_place = Yeovil, England

| party = Liberal Democrats

| alma_mater = University of Warwick

| website =

}}

Adam James Dance{{London Gazette |date=22 July 2024 |issue=64465 |page=14086}} is a British politician who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Yeovil since 2024. A member of the Liberal Democrats, he gained the seat from Marcus Fysh of the Conservative Party. Dance has been a member of Somerset Council since 2017 and South Somerset District Council from 2015 to 2023.

Early life and education

Dance was born and raised in Yeovil. He attended Stanchester Academy, and studied construction and landscape gardening at Taunton College and Yeovil College before starting his own landscape-gardening business.{{Cite web |title=Adam Dance: Liberal Democrat Candidate for Yeovil |url=https://www.yeovil-libdems.org.uk/fileadmin/groups/311/Images/Adam_Resume_PDF_VERSION_2_240126_143544.pdf |publisher=Yeovil Liberal Democrats |language=en |access-date=7 July 2024}}{{Cite web |title=Adam Dance: MP for Yeovil |url=https://www.libdems.org.uk/mps/yeovil |publisher=Liberal Democrats |language=en |access-date=7 July 2024}} He graduated from Warwick Business School in 2023.{{Cite web |url=https://policymogul.com/stakeholders/16747/adam-dance |title=Adam Dance MP |website=Policy Mogul |language=en |access-date=7 July 2024}}

Political career

Dance first became involved with the Liberal Democrats while campaigning for David Laws in the 2010 general election. In 2011, Dance became a member of the parish council of South Petherton; he was the chairman of the parish council until 2023.{{Cite web |title=Council Members |url=https://southpethertonparishcouncil.gov.uk/parish-council-2/who-makes-up-the-pc/ |publisher=South Petherton Parish Council |language=en |access-date=8 July 2024}}

In the 2015 election, Dance became a member of South Somerset District Council for the ward of South Petherton.{{Cite web |title=Election results for South Petherton (pre 2019 boundary review) | date=7 May 2015 |url=https://modgov.southsomerset.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=40 |publisher=South Somerset District Council |language=en |access-date=10 August 2024}} After his re-election in 2019, he joined the cabinet of the council as the portfolio holder for licensing and environmental health.{{Cite web |title=Election results for South Petherton | date=2 May 2019 |url=https://modgov.southsomerset.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=231 |publisher=South Somerset District Council |language=en |access-date=10 August 2024}} He sat on the district council until its abolition in 2023.

Dance was elected to Somerset County Council in the 2017 election for the division of South Petherton and Islemoor, becoming the council's youngest member.{{Cite web |title=Election results for South Petherton & Islemoor |url=http://democracy.somerset.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=43&RPID=423164 |publisher=Somerset County Council |language=en |access-date=10 August 2024 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190227042939/http://democracy.somerset.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=43&RPID=423164 |archive-date=27 February 2019}} He was re-elected in 2022 to the council,{{Cite web |title=Election results for South Petherton & Islemoor |url=https://democracy.somerset.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=206&RPID=502199827 |publisher=Somerset County Council |language=en |access-date=10 August 2024 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220506222208/https://democracy.somerset.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=206&RPID=502199827 |archive-date=6 May 2022}} which was renamed Somerset Council on becoming a unitary authority in 2023. Dance became the council's lead member for public health, equalities and diversity. He stepped down from the role upon his election to Parliament in 2024.{{Cite web |title=Reallocation of the role – Lead Member for Public Health, Equalities and Diversity |url=https://democracy.somerset.gov.uk/documents/s33983/Leaders%20Appointment%20-%20Reallocation%20Lead%20Member%20Role%20-%20Public%20Health%20Equalities%20and%20Diverslty.pdf |publisher=Somerset Council |language=en |access-date=10 August 2024}}

Dance was selected as the Liberal Democrats' prospective parliamentary candidate for Yeovil in April 2023. In the 2024 general election, he defeated the Conservative incumbent, Marcus Fysh, with 48.5 per cent of the vote and a majority of 12,268.{{Cite web |title=Yeovil {{!}} General Election 2024 |url=https://election.news.sky.com/elections/general-election-2024/yeovil-647 |work=Sky News |language=en |access-date=5 July 2024}}{{Cite news |last=Mumby |first=Daniel |date=5 July 2024 |title=General Election 2024: Liberal Democrats in Yeovil secure crushing victory |url=https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/general-election-2024-liberal-democrats-9390622 |work=SomersetLive |language=en |access-date=10 August 2024}}

On 29 November 2024 during the Assisted Dying Bill, Dance voted in favour.{{cn|date=January 2025}}

Personal life

Dance was diagnosed with severe dyslexia as a child. He stated in a 2023 interview that he has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).{{cite web |last=Calis |first=Steve |title=Who is Lib Dem Councillor Adam Dance? |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2XlowlnLP4 |website=YouTube |publisher=The Steve Calis Show Podcast |language=en |format=Video |date=9 December 2023}} He also identifies as a member of the LGBT community.{{Cite web |url=https://www.local.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/7.56_District_Councils_BAC_02_1.pdf |title=Stand for what you believe in: be a Liberal Democrat district councillor |page=9 |publisher=Local Government Association |language=en |access-date=7 July 2024}}{{Cite news |last=Reynolds |first=Andrew |date=5 July 2024 |title=Number of out LGBTQ+ MPs falls following election – but Labour has a reason to be proud |url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/07/05/lgbtq-mps-general-election/ |website=PinkNews |language=en |access-date=10 August 2024}} Dance cites Paddy Ashdown, a former leader of the Liberal Democrats and MP for Yeovil, as his political inspiration.{{Cite news |last=Clark |first=Daniel |date=16 July 2024 |title=Lady Ashdown hails Liberal Democrats success in Somerset |url=https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/lady-ashdown-hails-liberal-democrats-9412448 |work=SomersetLive |language=en |access-date=10 August 2024}}