The Danse Society are a Post Punk / Gothic Rock group from Barnsley, England, active since 1980. Their first releases on their own Society Records label, esp. 'Seduction' did well in the Independent charts and attracted Arista to sign them hoping for larger scale commercial success.
The original line-up included Steve Rawlings (voice), Paul Nash (guitar), Lyndon Scarfe (keyboards), Tim Wright (bass) and Paul Gilmartin (drums). Lyndon Scarfe left and was replaced by David Whitaker (formerly with Music For Pleasure) after 1983's 'Heaven is Waiting' Album.
The band released two more singles via Arista, the Stock, Aitken & Waterman produced 'Say It Again' and 'Hold On' produced by Steve Thompson and plans where made public for an album of re-recorded tracks in a danceable / radiofriendly fashion which did not come to fruitation.
Instead the band left Arista and demoed new songs, which where released in 1986 as their final album 'Looking Through' back on their own label.
Steve Rawlings started Society (2) while the other band members continued for some time as Johnny In The Clouds, with no released recordings.

At the end of 2009, Former members Paul Nash, Paul Gilmartin and David Whitaker met up for the first time in 24 years and decided to reform the band with the initial agreement of Steve Rawlings also re-joining the band. Over the next 9 months instrumental tracks were recorded and Steve briefly met the band in the UK in Oct 2010 but returned to America after recording just one vocal track. Plans changed when after that initial meeting, the band lost contact with Steve.
In January 2011 founder of Blooding Mask vocalist Maethelyiah joined the band and recorded vocals on all 13 tracks and the official news where revealed in May 2011. Bassist Martin Roberts joined The Danse Society.
On 1 February 2014, Danse Society issued an official announcement that Gilmartin and Roberts had unexpectedly resigned from the band, resulting in the cancellation of a series of tour dates.

In 2015, two versions of The Danse Society existed:
- with female lead: Paul Nash (guitar), Maethelyiah (voice) Jack Cooper (bass), Ian Hunter (drums), Sam Bollands (keyboards)
- with male lead: Paul Gilmartin (drums), Ade Clark (bass), Elliott Wheeler (guitar), Darran Guy (keyboards) and J Cridford (voice)
and each of them published a new record ("VI" and "Reincarnated") as The Danse Society.

In late 2016 The Danse Society with male lead changed their name into The Society (9).
in 2017 the remaining The Danse Society (with female lead) changed drummer: Joss Rydale replaced Ian Hunter.