Founders of TC Dance Club International
Tom Chapman (1917 - 2004)
Founder of TC Dance Club International
Tom Chapman was a Depression Baby for whom a high school education was an unaffordable luxury. He claims to have never danced a step before he began training. His is a classic entrepreneurial success story. He opened a series of studios under the Arthur Murray Banner. Over the years he met and befriended Barry Sandland who teamed with him to open Arthur Murray Studios in England. On the retirement of Mr. Murray, Tom and Barry launched TC Dance Club International. In his own words, "Since then, I've made a lot of money, and I'm a good dancer but most important, for fifty years I've had the wonderful experience of working in the ballroom dance business, a business that gives people what other business' promise them. No one enjoys life more than a dancing teacher."
Barry Sandland (1941 - 2017)
Co-Founder of TC Dance Club International
Barry started Dancing at age 10 with his mother as partner and took his first lesson at 12, while on vacation in Wales. At 15, he had Dance classes going at the boarding school he attended. At age 18 he graduated from school and took Math & Physics degree courses at London University with a view to becoming an aeronautical engineer. Then came a telephone call which was to change his life. "Congratulations, you have won a free Dance lesson at Arthur Murray's." He went, signed up, working at weekends in a factory to pay for his lessons. Soon he was offered a job at the studio. He took it, married his boss and together they immigrated to America. In LA he taught ballroom, had his own Adagio Act with his wife and continued studying ballet, tap, jazz and choreography. Soon he was both performing and winning many titles as a competitive Ballroom Dancer. He worked his way through the standards to become a judge, examiner and AMI Dance Board Member. At 23 he became the manager of Arthur's own studio on 5th Avenue, NYC. During his years in NY he met and befriended Tom Chapman, who had studios in the bay area and Kansas City. They took the Arthur Murray franchise for Europe and opened studios in England together. Arthur Murray retired in the early 70's so Tom and Barry decided to go it alone. The birth of TC Dance Clubs. Now, 20 years later, there are numerous associated studios throughout the US. Barry and Tom remained business partners until Tom's death in 2004. Barry opened in Satellite Beach, Florida on December 31st 1995.