Monnesota-born Tom Mahoney was a choreographer who received his
training in Minneapolis. In 1956, after having been choreographer on
several TV variety shows, he was hired as choreographer on
The Mickey Mouse Club (1955).
He changed the dancing technique on the show to aim it at a young teen
audience, rather than the pre-teen demographic the first season catered
to, and in that respect there was more boy/girl dancing rather than the
performers dancing by themselves, as in the first season.
After "The Mickey Mouse Club" went off the air, Mahoney continued to
work for Disney, including choreographing the Disney musical
Babes in Toyland (1961) with
Annette Funicello. He also
choreographed Annette's dancing in one of her "Beach Party" movies,
Bikini Beach (1964).
He died in St. Paul, MN, in 1995.