[3] Their fifth son, George, was born 1 April 1741 at the family home in Chiswell Street, London[4] and was educated at St Paul's School.

[7] At Rome, Dance was acquainted with the architect James Adam who was staying nearby at the Casa Guarini,[7] Robert Mylne (they remained lifelong friends),[7] Abbot Peter Grant and Giovanni Battista Piranesi.

[7] As a student of the Accademia di San Luca,[8] Dance measured and drew several buildings in Rome, including the three remaining columns of the Temple of Castor and Pollux,[8] the Arch of Constantine and the dome of St. Peter's Basilica,[9] showing much promise as a draughtsman.

[9] In early 1762 Dance was measuring and drawing the Temple of Vesta, Tivoli[10] and later that year he entered a competition organised by the Accademia di Parma to design A Public Gallery for Statues, Pictures & c..[11] His drawings were dispatched to Parma in April 1763, and a few weeks later it was announced that he had won the gold medal, and his designs were exhibited at the Ducal Palace.

During June 1764 the Dance brothers were in Naples,[13] but later that year they were back in Rome, entertaining the actor David Garrick and his wife.

[14] On 21 December 1764 George Dance and his brother were elected to the Accademia di S. Luca, where he was described as Giorgo Danze, architetto Inglese.

[21] Many of Dance's buildings have been demolished, including the Royal College of Surgeons (apart from the portico), Newgate Prison, St Luke's Hospital for Lunatics, the Shakespeare Gallery in Pall Mall, the library at Lansdowne House, the Common Council Chamber and Chamberlain's Court at the Guildhall, Ashburnham Place, and Stratton Park (demolished save for its Doric portico).

[24] In 1798 Dance succeeded Thomas Sandby as professor of architecture at the Royal Academy, but as he failed to deliver a single lecture he was dismissed in 1805[25] and replaced by his former pupil, Sir John Soane.

His Academy contributions consisted of highly finished pencil profile portraits of his friends in Regency London's artistic establishment.

Dance married Mary Gurnell (born 7 February 1752 in Pitzhanger Manor) on 24 March 1772 at St. George's, Bloomsbury.