Information: The family Cotillion is a wonderful way for families to come together and have an evening of fun and fellowship. We ask that each family bring a plate of sweet or savory finger foods that can be enjoyed at the break in the middle of the dance. We will be asking the gentlemen to ask the ladies to dance before the ladies pair up. We all have a wonderful time when everyone treats each other with respect off and on the dance floor!
A called dance is very active, so please keep this in mind when choosing your formal attire for the evening so there are no situations that will make you feel uncomfortable. Gentlemen, please wear dress button shirts, dress pants, and we love it when you wear ties! Ladies, we request your lovely formal dresses be at least knee length, with any slits also not going higher than the knee; no strapless as this could cause problems for you; please stay away from plunging necklines; and we request no bodycon dresses. Shorts under the skirts are recommended especially for knee length dresses. Thank you for your consideration in this so that you can dance the night away worry free!
Our heart with this dance is not to create a list of rules and regulations, but rather guidance for everyone who may not be familiar with this type of dancing so that everyone can enjoy the evening. With this in mind, we truly hope that everyone will respect our heart as we prepare a family friendly evening for our community. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us with them! 269.330.0608 (Kamie) 269.668.5253 (Kim)
Tips for ladies: Again, our heart is not a legalistic dress code, but rather an evening where all the ladies can dress up and feel beautiful without having a wardrobe disaster that would leave them feeling embarrassed or uncomfortable due to the active nature of called dancing. If you would like to wear spaghetti straps we recommend reinforcing them so that if your skirt gets stepped on they do not break. We also recommend testing the length of your dress without your heels in case you decide to take your shoes off and dance barefoot. The nature of bodycon dresses are so constricting that they don’t work well with the active nature of called dancing. The nature of a strapless dress is why we also request you choose something besides this style given it is an active dance. Slits that go above the knee are at risk of splitting and causing great embarrassment, which is why we request that your slits go no higher than the knee.
Tips for the gentlemen: Wearing a full suit for those who own one is a nice way to start the evening. However, called dancing is very warm, especially in summer, so suit coats and even ties may come off during the course of the evening if you get too warm. For your younger boys, it is perfectly fine to put them in a short sleeved button up dress shirt if you are concerned about the heat. For younger boys who are unsure about wearing a tie, if you want them to wear a tie but they are resistant, please know that we understand when ties come off in the course of the evening. It is a great opportunity for them to try something new! Given the active nature of called dancing, belts are definitely recommended to be worn with your dress pants.
