The cotillion (also cotillon or French country dance) is a social dance, popular in 18th-century Europe and America. Originally for four couples in square formation, it was a courtly version of an English country dance, the forerunner of the quadrille and, in the United States, the square dance. In American usage, a Cotillion is a formal ball, often the venue for presenting Debutantes. The cotillion is a formal social dance that began in the early 18th century Europe by French royalty. Later it became popular in England among families of nobility and white families in the United States of great wealth, especially in the South. In the early 20th century, some affluent black families adapted the tradition.
It was for some fifty years regarded as an ideal finale to a ball but was eclipsed in the early 19th century by the quadrille. It became so elaborate that it was sometimes presented as a concert dance performed by trained and rehearsed dancers. The later "German" cotillion included more couples as well as plays and games. The dress code is white tie and tails for men, and strictly floor-length pure white gowns for women. Long white gloves are commonly worn by female debutantes and are considered a symbol of upper-class femininity.
"Carpe Diem"
It was for some fifty years regarded as an ideal finale to a ball but was eclipsed in the early 19th century by the quadrille. It became so elaborate that it was sometimes presented as a concert dance performed by trained and rehearsed dancers. The later "German" cotillion included more couples as well as plays and games. The dress code is white tie and tails for men, and strictly floor-length pure white gowns for women. Long white gloves are commonly worn by female debutantes and are considered a symbol of upper-class femininity.
"Carpe Diem"
