ETIQUETTE & SOCIAL DANCE

Our curriculum provides thoughtful instruction and  practice in the courtesies that make life more gracious — for the individual and for those around them. Students receive structured training in social dance, along with regular opportunities to apply what they have learned at beautifully themed instructional dancers, class parties, instructional dinners, and formal balls.

What distinguishes our chapter is the way the curriculum is delivered. Rather than presenting etiquette as a list of rules, instruction is delivered through an immersive, story-based approach.  Using stories and themed events that simulate a diversity of social situations- seasonal, traditional, historical or cultural- allows students to practice skills in context rather than theory. Through carefully designed events — from Renaissance Festivals to European Balls, instructional Dinners to Cultural Celebrations — students do more than memorize behaviors. They experience them.

This immersive approach:

• Strengthens retention through experiential learning

• Encourages empathy by placing students in shared narratives

• Builds confidence through repeated, supported practice

• Reduces social anxiety by normalizing structured interaction

• Transforms abstract virtues into observable behaviors

Students are not simply told how to behave; they rehearse in real time.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Cotillion in Southwest Florida is a three-season, structured program of etiquette, social dance, and cultural education.  Students practice their skills within thoughtfully designed social environments that mirror real-world experiences. Each season is built on the age-appropriate skills learned in the previous season.  Equal emphasis is placed on etiquette, dance, and character studies.

Etiquette instruction includes:

• Polite Conversation and First Impressions

• Giving and Receiving Compliments

• Proper Introductions and Receiving Lines

• Telephone and Digital Communication Etiquette

• Expressing Gratitude and Acknowledging Gifts

• Participation and Leadership in Group Settings

• Sportsmanship and Spectator Etiquette

• Dress Code Awareness for Various Occasions

• Manners in the Home and in Public

• Table Manners and Formal Place Settings

• American, Continental, and Asian Dining Styles

• Hosting and Guest Responsibilities

• And additional areas of gracious social conduct

DANCE INSTRUCTION

Each dance is introduced carefully and practised at the event.  The objective is not performance, but the ability to participate naturally and confidently in social settings throughout life. Students are introduced to foundational ballroom and social dances.

Dance instruction includes:

Foxtrot

including Foxtrot, Waltz, Swing, Cha Cha, Salsa, Merengue, Contra Dance, Country Dance, Twenties Dance, and Popular Line Dancing. 

TIME COMMITMENT

Students meet once a month to accommodate their busy schedules. 

Etiquette, Dance, and Character Education is addressed at every event. 

Season I includes four instructional dances, one themed party, one cultural festival, and two formal balls  (22+ Contact Hours)

Season II includes two instructional dances, two themed parties, and two instructional dinners, which precede the two formal balls (22-24+ Contact Hours)

Season III includes two themed events (Country Dance & Twenties Dance), one cultural event (Afternoon at the Theatre with backstage tour), one themed Ball (Masquerade Ball), one themed party  (Graduation Rehearsal and Pizza Party), and the elegant, once-in-a-lifetime Graduation Ceremony, Induction, and Celebration Ball (22-24+ Contact Hours)

FINANCIAL COMMITMENT & RESPONSIBILITIES 

MEMBERSHIP FEES: 

Season I - $695 +inclusive of instructional dances, themed parties, festival, and formal balls,  favors, prizes, and a Cotillion Challenge Book,

Season I students work individually or collectively to raise an additional $50 per student in program enrichment fees * 

Season II -  $775 + inclusive of two instructional dances, two themed parties, two instructional dinners, two formal balls, favors, prizes, and Cotillion Challenge Book.

Season I students work individually or collectively to raise an additional $100 per student in program enrichment fees *

Dual Enrolled - $795 + inclusive of three Season I instructional dances + one optional Season I instructional dance plus two instructional dances, two themed parties, two instructional dinners, two formal balls, favors, prizes, and two Cotillion Challenge Books.

Dual-enrolled students work individually or collectively to raise an additional $100 per student in program enrichment fees *

Season III - $795 + inclusive of Art, Culture, and Community-based themed parties, dances, and formal balls, including the Graduation Ceremony and Celebrarion Ball. 

Season III students  work individually or collectively to raise an additional $100 per student in program enrichment fees *

By Season III, funds raised by an individual over and above the required minimum may be donated or applied towards the cost of tickets to the Graduation Ball for family and friends 

* The Enrichment Leadership Program is an opportunity for students to work individually or collectively to practice their skills and receive benefits from their efforts

100% of student enrichment fees are applied directly to student benefits through program enhancement

Cotillion at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center is Magical