Cotillion

[lucyanna girl]

Here in Northeast Louisiana our small town has a group called Cotton Blossoms. Members are high school students who reside in our parish, perform at least 12 hours per year (most perform much more) and represent the community in positive ways. In addition to teaching the girls community involvement there is a scholarship program.

Once a year the sponsors of the Cotton Blossoms hold a cotillion for the girls. They dress in formal gowns and are escorted by their father or another male member of their family and are presented to an audience of family and friends. A dance follows for the girls and their escorts. There were around eighty girls involved this year. My daughter, Sarah, was a four year Cotton Blossom.

Most of the young ladies wear more of a ball gown (think Disney Princess)type dress. They are very beautiful and get a chance to shine. They learn thru the services performed for the community. During her four years some of Sarah's favorites were working a Relay for Life, helping raise money for a Sunday School group of under-privileged children, and working for the town library.

Penny

 

[mousetravel]

My DD went to Cotillion at her school. It is basically similar to the Prom. The guys have to wear suit & tie, and the girls wear Prom/Formal dresses, get their hair, makeup, etc. done. It is considered a "junior" Cotillion, so all the Juniors are automatically welcomed, but if you are a freshman or sophmore, you have to be "invited".

 

[asta]

I know that every area has their unique traditions and organizations but I think we are talking about three different things. Those Cotillions that are aimed at middle school aged students are generally more of a teaching type thing. The dances and other events are held to practice what they have been learning. High School aged students have proms and service organization type dances as a way to celebrate a rite of passage. They are more celebration and not so much a teaching event. Debutante and presentation balls are even something different. Most of those that I am familiar with are for college age people and at one time they represented a social "coming out". Around here, while they are still an honor, they are very much about fund raising. The cost to be presented and to have your family and guests attend can run into the thousands.

 

[Art 1]

My daughter did cotillion, it was kind of nice and a good experience. My wife had also sent her to manners and etiquette classes along the way. It's all a good thing I think.

 

[powellrj]

I went when I was a kid. It started in like 2nd grade and you would get all dressed up complete with white gloves and meet every other monday in a local hotels ballroom. You would have different parents lined up for the receiving line when you went in and then you would sit around the room and they would teach us how to sit, drink punch and ballroom dance. We always had live music from the Carol Lou Trio! Carol Lous kids also went.

It was one of those things that everyone went to and complained about, but you really had a pretty good time doing. I think you went until like 6th grade.

It wasn't for the rich kids because my dad was a railroad conductor and most of the kids in our neighborhood went. It was pretty much everyone I knew from doctors kids to kids like me.

We moved and I am not sure if they still have it anymore and they didn't have anything like it around here so my kids never went.

 

[AustinTink]

I know that every area has their unique traditions and organizations but I think we are talking about three different things. Those Cotillions that are aimed at middle school aged students are generally more of a teaching type thing. The dances and other events are held to practice what they have been learning. High School aged students have proms and service organization type dances as a way to celebrate a rite of passage. They are more celebration and not so much a teaching event. Debutante and presentation balls are even something different. Most of those that I am familiar with are for college age people and at one time they represented a social "coming out". Around here, while they are still an honor, they are very much about fund raising. The cost to be presented and to have your family and guests attend can run into the thousands.

Yep, you broke it down perfectly.

 

[NotUrsula]

Re: Carnival Debutante Balls. One of my HS friends was up for Court in her father's Krewe. This was 30 years ago, and he gave her this decision to make: do you want to be Queen this year, or do you want to go to Law School? (The approximate cost was about the same then, being elected Queen meant a donation on the order of ~$25K.)

As for Cotillion (the class), I think that it is a wonderful idea, and if it were more egalitarian where I now live, I would send my son for sure. Though they almost never want to go, these classes are super-useful for young men because they give them a "script" for formal social interaction. No boy who went through classes like these will ever make the mistake of asking a potential dance partner WHY she refused to dance with him (though generally it seldom happens to young men who have done the classes, because they know how to handle themselves on a dance floor. That's a HUGE advantage in the HS dating pool.)

 

[rie'smom]

Re: Carnival Debutante Balls. One of my HS friends was up for Court in her father's Krewe. This was 30 years ago, and he gave her this decision to make: do you want to be Queen this year, or do you want to go to Law School? (The approximate cost was about the same then, being elected Queen meant a donation on the order of ~$25K.)

As for Cotillion (the class), I think that it is a wonderful idea, and if it were more egalitarian where I now live, I would send my son for sure. Though they almost never want to go, these classes are super-useful for young men because they give them a "script" for formal social interaction. No boy who went through classes like these will ever make the mistake of asking a potential dance partner WHY she refused to dance with him (though generally it seldom happens to young men who have done the classes, because they know how to handle themselves on a dance floor. That's a HUGE advantage in the HS dating pool.)

My mom was queen and way back then-1960s, it was 25-30K. Now, it's more like 75+. Our daughter is a maid and it's expensive.

 

[Mrs. Darcy]

I'm a Cotillion girl and my husband was a Cotillion boy, by coincidence. Well maybe not, because in the south these are very common. I was in 8th grade and it was a 1 year process of learning how to be a proper lady (or gentleman). I loved the whole thing, but Will cringes whenever it's brought up. He can cringe all he wants because he's a good southern gentleman and I tell him it's because of Cotillion. The most expensive part was my gown for the Ball when I "graduated".