They're full-time now, but they've worked part-time, weekends only, and have even been at times on hiatus from the park.
The quartet has done many outside gigs and has toured Sweden twice, Australia once. Other Disneyland musical groups (like the Disneyland Band or the Make Believe Brass) consist of "cast members," but the Dapper Dans have always created their own material, organized themselves and had more autonomy. TThe Dapper Dans actually rival the Golden Horseshoe Revue in their longevity at Disneyland.
#The dapper dans professional
Later members were often recruited from nearby Chapman College, where an active music department groomed students to come to Disneyland as professional musicians. This group worked together for years, and established the Disneyland Dapper Dans tradition. Marker (bass) and Ted Nichols (baritone). It consisted of John Borneman (tenor), Roger Axworthy (lead), T.J. They began performing on Main Street, and after several changes the first long-running Dapper Dans quartet was formed. Corson (a former Stage Manager for the Fred Waring Chorale) contacted some of the singers from that group, and they came to Disneyland at his request. The Dapper Dans first started when Disneyland's Tommy Walker contacted Park talent supervisor Chuck Corson and said that Disneyland needed a barbershop quartet.