children cotillion dance and manners

Cotillion Program

Why Cotillion?

Where can you use these manners and dances? At weddings, bar mitzvahs, the country club, or on a cruise. Any place that has music and a dance floor!

We at Westridge Cotillion believe that our program will give your children self-confidence that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.

teens learn to dance and etiquette

What is Westridge Cotillion?

Cotillion is four things:

  1. We teach your children to dance.
  2. We review some manners and teach new etiquette.
  3. We encourage the children to make new friends.
  4. We stress having fun in a structured environment.

Now let's break these four things down:

Dancing

We teach the three basic ballroom dances – waltz, foxtrot and swing – every season. We also teach Latin dances – chacha, samba, and meringue one year, alternating with salsa, tango, and rumba the next. We also teach current popular dances and classic novelty dances such as the Charleston and polka, or dances from the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

Burgess Cotillion Families

Manners & Etiquette

We teach our students how to introduce themselves, how to go through a reception line, how to ask a lady to dance, and how to sit properly. At one class, a table is set up for a demonstration on table manners. We also cover telephone, cell phone, and computer manners.

Friends

Students from many different schools attend Westridge Cotillion. So your children will be meeting new people. Our aim is for everyone to feel comfortable in a social situation; so we teach how to start a conversation and make proper introductions. We want our students to respect themselves and respect others.

Fun

We have dance contests, games, prizes with a ticket drawing at the end of every dance, and, of course, refreshments!

Dances

Westridge Cotillion has eight dances a season. Three of them are fun themes. We always have a Halloween party complete with a costume parade and contest. Other themes may include Hawaiian Holiday, Dancing at the Movies, Country Western, Dancing Around the World, or the Fabulous Fifties At our final dance each season, we invite all parents to participate in our mother-son or father-daughter dances. We also have our annual waltz contests where trophies and prizes are awarded to the winners. We have experienced teachers circulating around the dance floor throughout each class. We also are happy to have Junior teachers, who are all former students, helping your children learn new steps. Parents are encouraged to volunteer as chaperones.

Burgess Cotillion for young adults

Dress Code

Modest attire. Also, please no denim, flip-flops, sandals, mules, or athletic shoes. Exceptions are on themed nights and will be announced when appropriate.

  • Semi-Formal Attire
    Girls: Party dress, knee-length or longer, and gloves. Please cover shoulders, back, and midriff. No plunging necklines. Boys: Suit and tie, and hard-soled shoes. Sport coats are ok.
  • Formal Attire
    Girls: An elegant and appropriate-length cocktail dress. Boys:  Dark colored formal suit
  • Black Tie Optional Attire
    Girls:  Floor-length gowns encouraged. Students may also choose an elegant, appropriate-length cocktail dress. Boys: Tuxedos. Students may also choose to wear a dark colored formal suit.
  • Resort Elegant Attire
    Girls:  Maxi dresses, shawls, wedges or dressy flats, optional gloves. No flip-flops. Boys:  Tailored slacks, collared shirts, blazer or sport coat recommended. Please no tennis shoes or flip-flops.

Instructor

Westridge Cotillion classes are conducted by Mr. Robert Burgess, Cotillion Master.

Boy Girl Ratio

Our goal at Westridge Cotillion is to have an even ratio of girls to boys so that every girl has a partner for every dance. As the classes fill up, it may be necessary to place girls on a waiting list with that balanced ratio in mind. We will contact you if your daughter is placed on the waiting list. If you find a boy who will register in the class along with your daughter, she will bypass the waiting list and be enrolled. You may also leave her on the list, and as boys are enrolled, girls will be called in list order.

Bobby Burgess with Student

Registration for Westridge Cotillion

Early registration tuition is $354 if registered and paid by Tuesday, September 1st.

Payments can be made in two installments:

  1. $177 deposit due by Monday, August 31
  2. $177 balance due by the first class on Monday, September 14

Standard tuition for the season is $379.

Individual classes are $55 a piece.

Please respond as soon as possible.