Welcome

  The Emerald Coast Chapter of the National League of Junior Cotillions was founded in 2015 to share the mission of the NLJC of learning to treat others with honor, dignity, and respect and Kindness.  We also emphasize the social impact of honesty, respect, and consideration.   The program features instruction in Character Education, Dining Etiquette, Modern Manners, and Ballroom Dance. 

Please note:  Early Bird Registration for all Legacy students(students who have been in cotillion before, whether Pre-Cotillion-High School) will open on March 21st-March 31st!!  Please put these dates on your calendar as I will email you an "early registration" code and there will be No Waiting LIsts during this time.  A $100 registration fee to be applied to tuition is all that is required during this "Early Bird Registration."  

Registration will "open" for all Pre-Cotillion Summer Classes and Fall Classes for Junior Cotillion and High School Cotillion Classes on April 1st!!!!  Classes fill quickly so check out the class offerings and register soon!  All classes except Pre-Cotillion have a 1:1 ratio of Ladies to Gentlemen which makes for a super fun and effective program!!  Pre-Cotillion Classes for students who have completed 1st-4th Grades will be held from June 15th-18th at 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm at Crosspoint Church, Niceville Campus.  Tuition is $165.00 for Pre-Cotillion 1(rising 2nd/3rd graders) and $180.00 for Pre-Cotillion 2 (rising 4th/5th graders). 

 All fall Junior Cotillion and High School Cotillion classes will be held one Sunday afternoon per month from September-March.    Online registration for Fall Junior & High School Cotillion Classes(for 2026) will open online on April 1st at: www.nljc.com/chapter/emeraldcoast.

The Junior Cotillion Program is designed to give young people instruction and practice in modern etiquette and social dance.  Social and character education components of the program include:  Proper Telephone Courtesy,  Introductions, Receiving Lines, Polite conversations, First impressions, Dress Code for all occasions, Manners in the Home and in Public, Table Manners, Formal Place Settings, Sports Etiquette and many other areas of social behavior.  Dance instruction includes steps in the Foxtrot, Swing, Waltz, Cha-Cha and current line dances.  Classes for Junior Cotillion are Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3 Premiere.  Year 1 is for 6th/7th grade students brand new to cotillion.  Year 2 is for students who have completed Year 1 and any new 8th graders.  Year 3 Premiere is for 8th/9th grade students who have completed Year 2 as well as any new 9th grade students.  In Year 3 Premiere, the students "take their manners on the road," with outings such as Golf & Tennis Etiquette at Kelly Plantation Golf Club, a Cultural Dining Outing, and Four in-class events featuring continued Dance Education as well at International Etiquette in Dining and Travel and two formal balls.  

The High School Cotillion Program features building upon the Junior Cotillion Curriculum of Etiquette and Social dance but also preparing these 10th-12th Grade students for College and/or the World of Work.  The curriculum focuses on personality assessment, career planning, goal setting, resume writing, interview, banking and budgeting, professional panel luncheon, and a cultural event.

The Pre-Cotillion Program will encourage children to be comfortable together, to make new friends, and enjoy themselves.  Through role-playing----practice with our mascot, Peanuts, the Polite Elephant----hands-on experience and storytelling in a peer group, young ladies and gentlemen are expected to leave the program with the beginnings of confidence and poise that come from knowing the proper things to do.  Pre-Cotillion I is for students who will finish 1st or 2nd Grade by May 30th.  Pre-Cotillion 2 is for students who will have finished 3rd or 4th grade by May 30th.     

All regular classes are held in the Fellowship Hall of Crosspoint Church, Niceville Campus

Please contact Joan Freeman, Director of the Emerald Coast Chapter at [email protected] if you would like your son or daughter to receive an invitation. 

Dress Code:  

Pre-Cotillion- Country Club Casual (boys are to wear a shirt with a collar tucked in a pair of khaki shorts, khaki pants or other nice shorts with a belt.  Sandals with a front and a back are acceptable except for Crocs).  Young ladies are to wear a casual summer dress or skirt/blouse with sandals that have a front and a back.  Closed toe shoes(not athletic) are also acceptable.  Dressier attire is encouraged for the Graduation Program on the last day of Class.    

Junior & High School Gentlemen-Navy Blazer or dark Navy suit,  solid-color long sleeve dress shirt, khaki pants, belt, necktie or bowtie, brown or cordovan dress shoes with socks. Please make sure your shoes have a dark colored, smooth bottom and not a bright white please.  Men's Wearhouse in Destin partners with us to provide all Cotillion items for our Gentlemen.  

Junior & High School Ladies-  Sunday-Style dress or shirt and blouse that approaches the knee, dress closed- toe shoes, short white gloves & small purse or wristlet.  All cell phones must be out of sight at any cotillion class.  The purse should hold the phone.  A phone should never been seen or heard at any Cotillion class as a courtesy to all.  

Announcements

Congratulations to Junior Cotillion Students, Miss Grace Woodard and Wyatt Bernich , for winning the Best-Mannered Teacher Essay Contest!  They were surprised along with the Teacher nominees at their respective schools.   Congratulations to Mrs. Cindy Holland of Gateway Academy and Mr. Shrumeyer of Meigs Middle School , respectively,  for being selected as our 2026 Best-Mannered Teachers!

REGISTRATION 

Pre-Cotillion I & II Classes (for rising 2nd/3rd Grade Students & Rising 4th-5th Grade Students).  Tuition is $165.00 for Pre-Cotillion I students and $180.00 for Pre-Cotillion 2 students.  

Classes for Pre-Cotillion will be held June 15-June 18th, 2026,  in the Crosspoint Theatre in the Community Life Center of Crosspoint Church, Niceville Campus.  

Junior Cotillion Year 1  (6th and 7th grade students who are brand new to cotillion).  Tuition for Year I is $375.00.   

Junior Cotillion Year 2   (7th graders who have completed Year 1 Cotillion and 8th graders brand new to cotillion).  Tuition for Year 2 is $450.00.   This includes the cost of the 5-Course Instructional Dinner.  These students have eight classes including the two formal balls.    

Junior Cotillion Year 3 Premiere  (8th & 9th Graders who have completed Year 2 Cotillion and any brand new 9th graders).  Tuition of the Year 3 Premiere is $475.00. This program includes eight classes which includes Golf & Tennis Etiquette with dinner,  one Cultural Outing Dinner, special guest international speakers, and two formal balls.  

High School Cotillion (10-12th grade students)    Tuition for the High School Program is $495.00.  This program includes eight classes, including a Cultural Outing, an opening Icebreaker with dinner, a Professional Panel Luncheon with five community professionals, expert guest speakers, and two formal balls with special awards for all seniors as well as Dance Contest prizes.  

Parents are required to pay a 1/2 tuition or full tuition at the time of registration.  Final tuition payments are due by August 1st, 2026 for all students except Pre-Cotillion Students with all payments being completed by May 15th, 2026.        All payments must must be received within 5 business days of registration for your student to be placed on the roster.  You may pay online via PayPal (5.4% handling charge) or by check made payable to:  NLJC Emerald Coast Chapter, P.O. Box. 775, Niceville, FL. 32588-0775, or by Venmo for payment.  Venmo payments are accepted to:  @Joan-Freeman-3.  You will receive a "Paid Invoice" in 5 business days.  Payment plans are available for families with multiple children in the cotillion program.   Feel free to email the director at [email protected] or call with any questions at 850-974-8537.  

   There will be NO refunds except in the following cases:

1.   Moving out of the area

2.   Serious family illness

The above circumstances are set in fairness to students who are placed on the waiting list.

** All classes for middle school students and 9th graders will be held in the Fellowship Hall of Crosspoint Crosspoint Church, Niceville.  All classes for high school students will be held at the same location.     Special topic classes and formal balls will be held at other locations.  

About Director

Joan Freeman is a graduate of Auburn University and Troy University with a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Secondary Education.  She is a former high school Social Studies teacher in Okaloosa County, FL and Fairfax County, VA.  She is an active member of Crosspoint Church in Niceville where she enjoys singing Soprano II in the Chancel Choir.   She also enjoys attending Crosspoint Women's Bible Study on Thursday mornings where she Co-leads a Small Group.   In the community, she served on the Capital Campaign Committee for the building and construction of the Eagle Ram Tennis Center which is now shared by Niceville High School and Ruckel Middle School.  She enjoys supporting numerous Non-profit organizations.  

 She is married to Lt. Col (ret) , USAF, Paul J. Freeman and they are the parents of twin daughters , Julia and Meredith. Meredith is a 2021 graduate of Florida State University majoring in Public Relations.  She earned a Master's of Divinity degree from Asbury Theolgical Seminary in Kentucky.  She serves at Crosspoint Church in Niceville as Assoc. Pastor.  She is married to William Aylward Jordan from St. Simon's, GA and a fellow FSU graduate.  Meredith and her Dad got to use a lot of their Cotillion dance training at the wedding. They also welcomed their first child(our first grandchild) into the world on January 4, 2026, Sara Grace!!!  William is also a Seminary Graduate from Beeson Seminary of Samford University and is employed by Rocky Bayou Christian School.    Julia graduated from Florida State in December of 2022 with a degree in Instrumental Music Education.   Julia is in her third year as the Middle School Band Director at Kelly Park School in Apopka, FL.  She loves her job and will complete her Master's Degree in Music Education in March of 2026.  Julia is engaged to be married to Mr. Robert Duran in April of 2026.  Once again, Julia and her Dad will be using their ballroom dance skills!   We are so blessed to have college grads employed!!! All their years of Cotillion did pay off well!!

 The baby of our family is our 3-year-old Yorkie, Pebbles!   Yorkies have spunk and she fits the mold perfectly.  She is Joan's office buddy, car buddy, and stroller buddy.    In her leisure time,  Joan enjoys singing in the Chancel Choir at Crosspoint Church,  ballroom dancing with her husband, power walking the neighborhood, swimming, bike riding, playing tennis, and volunteering in church and community activities. Her newest activities are paddle boarding and pickleball!  She loves all things music!!

She was selected by the National League of Junior Cotillions Convention in Atlanta as hosting the "Best Parent Reception of 2015."  She was also honored to receive the "2018 Ambassador Award" from the National League of Junior Cotillions.  She was recently selected to serve on the NLJC National Cotillion Advisory Board which is a great honor.  Mrs. Freeman loves teaching and providing all the programs that the National League of Junior Cotillions offers to students on the Emerald Coast.  Being confident in Social Etiquette is vital to success in so many ways for all future endeavors.  The skills acquired through Social Dance also provide the poise and self-confidence that will benefit students in many of the wonderful social situations they will enjoy in the future.  Good Manners never go out of style!!!