National League of Junior Cotillions
Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center Chapter

The Mission of National League of Junior Cotillions

how to treat others with dignity and respect

for better relationships with family and

friends and to teach social dance 

In May 2025, NLJC, National opened an NLJC YouTube channel to feature chapters nationwide

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF JUNIOR COTILLIONS  YOUTUBE SITE

Curriculum / Etiquette & Social Dance

The mission of the National League of Junior Cotillions is to equip young people with the social skills, character education, and dance instruction that help them navigate life with confidence, courtesy, and poise.

Our curriculum provides thoughtful instruction and abundant practice in the courtesies that make life more gracious—for the individual and for those around them. Students also receive step-by-step training in standard ballroom dance, with regular opportunities to practice and celebrate what they’ve learned at beautifully themed parties, class dances, and formal balls complete with decorations, refreshments, favors, and prizes.

Program Overview

Cotillion is more than dancing—it’s a well-rounded approach to etiquette, leadership, and cultural education. Each season is taught by grade level and builds upon age-appropriate skills. Equal emphasis is placed on manners, social confidence, and character development as on the art of ballroom dance.

Our Social and Character Education Curriculum includes training in:

Polite Conversation & First Impressions

Giving and Receiving Compliments

Introductions and Receiving Lines

Telephone & Digital Communication Etiquette

Acknowledging Gifts with Gratitude

Participation in Group Settings

Sportsmanship and Spectator Etiquette

Dress Code Awareness for All Occasions

Manners in the Home and in Public

Table Manners & Formal Place Settings

American, Continental, and Asian Dining Styles

Hosting and Guest Responsibilities

And many other areas of gracious social behavior

Dance Instruction

Each dance is taught with care and repeated in class to build confidence. The goal is not performance, but comfortable, confident participation in any social setting.

Students are introduced to foundational ballroom dances including:

Foxtrot

Waltz

Swing

Shag

Cha Cha

Salsa 

Merengue

Contra-Dance 

Country Dance

Twenties Dance 

Popular Line Dancing

Special Events & Seasonal Highlights

The Cotillion setting encourages young ladies and gentlemen to feel at ease in each other’s company, make new friends, and enjoy meaningful traditions together. With regular practice in a supportive peer setting, students leave the program equipped with the confidence, poise, and cultural awareness that last a lifetime.

Cotillion students apply what they learn in joyful, memorable ways throughout the season:

Season I: Five Instructional Dinners and Two Balls:  Spring Ball (their first formal event!) and the Spring Ball - Renaissance Festival & Ball 

Season II: Two Instructional Dances, Two Themed Party, Two Instructional Dinners, and Two Formal Balls - Winter Ball, preceded by a five-course instructional dinner (American Style Dining) and the Spring European Ball preceded by a three-course instructional dinner (Continental Style Dining)

Season III: Two special events, One Cultural Event, One Themed Event, and Two Formal Balls:  Country Dance, Twenties Dance, Afternoon at the Theatre, Masquerade Ball, Graduation Rehearsal Pizza Party, and the Graduation Ball, an elegant culminating celebration for students and their guests

Delivery / An Immersive Class Experience

Classes and events are held monthly to accommodate busy lifestyles. and run between 2.5 and 4 hours long, depending on the function.   

While the national curriculum provides a clear and powerful framework, its delivery in Southwest Florida is designed to meet the energy and needs of our students. We create a truly immersive experience where etiquette is not just taught—it is lived, modeled, practiced, and joyfully refined.  This dynamic and nurturing environment fosters not only excellent social skills—but noble, confident, and community-minded young leaders.

Instruction is shaped around the Four C’s:

• Curiosity, which opens the door to discovery and lifelong learning.

• Creativity, which empowers students to think beyond the expected while still honoring social grace and kindness.

• Character, which brings power, presence, and poise through the development of integrity and self-respect

• Community, which reminds every young person that their gifts are meant to serve and uplift those around them.  

Last season, students from five counties attended cotillion, representing nearly 60 local schools. 

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