Dancesounds was launched in February 2002 by Paul and Rachel Jackson. Our aim was to provide a resource of a varied and original music to students and teachers in dance education by publishing our own music and distributing cds by other composers.
Paul A. Jackson was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire and was involved in performing, writing and arranging music throughout his childhood and education. For twelve years he was keyboard player and vocalist for a large soul band, whilst also writing and producing his own material for either solo projects or with other ensembles. These covered pop, classical and jazz styles and he was able to expand on this interest when he moved to Manchester to study a degree in Popular Music and Recording at the University of Salford. During this time he became involved with a collective in Manchester staging multimedia club nights in the north of England where he was able to concentrate on writing and performing electronic music. In 1999, he moved to London to start work in the BBC music archives. He enjoys listening to a wide variety of music and likes to work in different styles such as pop, electro, dance and ambient with elements of jazz, world and classical styles.
Rachel Jackson studied full-time at The Weguelin School of Russian Ballet and The Legat School of Classical Ballet. She went on to take A Level Dance at West Kent College in Tonbridge. After studying for a degree in Dance Studies at Roehampton Institute she taught Dance History to A Level Dance students at the Royal Academy of Dancing in London and National Curriculum Dance Keystage 3, GCSE and AS Level at a secondary school in Tonbridge. As Archive Assistant at the National Resource Centre for Dance at the University of Surrey Rachel was involved with researching and writing educational resources as well as helping out with Summer School. She then joined Dancing Times magazine as Executive Editor for five years during which time one of her responsibilities was to commission the second and third series of Study Aids for A Level and GCSE Dance.