Savannah Cotillion Club

Last updated
Savannah Cotillion Club
Formation1817(207 years ago) (1817)
Location

The Savannah Cotillion Club (also known as the Savannah Cotillion Society) is a formal dance society based in Savannah, Georgia. Its Christmas Cotillion, first held in 1817, [1] it is the oldest debutante ball in the United States. [2] [3] It takes place annually a few days before Christmas. [4]

Venues for the ball have included the Westin Savannah Harbor Hotel's grand ballroom. [5] From around 2015, it has taken place at Savannah's Marriott Riverfront hotel at the eastern end of Bay Street. The build-up to the ball takes several months, including private parties, receptions, dress fittings and photograph portraits. [4]

The event is recreated in John Berendt's 1994 novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and 1997 movie adaptation, [4] with The Lady Chablis gatecrashing the dance.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prom</span> Formal dance or gathering of students at the end of the high school academic year

A promenade dance or promenade, commonly called a prom in American English, is a dance party for high school students. It may be offered in semi-formal black tie or informal suit for boys, and evening gowns for girls. This event is typically held at or near the end of the school year. There may be individual junior and senior proms or they may be combined.

<i>Quinceañera</i> Celebration of a girls 15th birthday

A quinceañera is a celebration of a girl's 15th birthday that is common in Mexican and other Latin American cultures. The girl celebrating her 15th birthday is a quinceañera. In Latin America, the term quinceañera is reserved solely for the honoree; in English, primarily in the United States, the term is used to refer to the celebrations and honors surrounding the special occasion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debutante</span> Upper-class girl introduced to high society

A debutante, also spelled débutante, or deb is a young woman of aristocratic or upper-class family background who has reached maturity and is presented to society at a formal "debut" or possibly debutante ball. Originally, the term meant that the woman was old enough to be married, and part of the purpose of her coming out was to display her to eligible bachelors and their families with a view to marriage within a select circle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vienna Opera Ball</span> Austrian debutante ball

The Vienna Opera Ball is an annual Austrian society event which takes place in the building of the Vienna State Opera in Vienna, Austria on the Thursday preceding Ash Wednesday. Together with the New Year Concert, the ball is one of the highlights of the Viennese carnival season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ball gown</span> Type of evening gown

A ball gown, ballgown or gown is a type of evening gown worn to a ball or a formal event. Most versions are cut off the shoulder with a low décolletage, exposed arms, and long bouffant styled skirts. Such gowns are typically worn with opera-length white gloves, vintage jewelry or couture, and a stole, cape, or cloak in lieu of a coat. Where "state decorations" are to be worn, they are on a bow pinned to the chest, and married women wear a tiara if they have one. Although synthetic fabrics are now sometimes used, the most common fabrics are satin, silk, taffeta and velvet with trimmings of lace, pearls, sequins, embroidery, ruffles, ribbons, rosettes and ruching.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ball (dance event)</span> Dance party

A ball is a formal dance event often characterised by a banquet followed by a social dance. Ball dancing emerged from formal dances during the Middle Ages and carried on through different iterations throughout succeeding centuries, such as the 17th century Baroque dance and the 18th century cotillion. Several variations exists such as the masquerade and debutante ball as well as the more modern prom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Social season (United Kingdom)</span> Annual period when the social elite holds social events

The social season, or season, refers to the traditional annual period in the spring and summer when it is customary for members of the social elite of British society to hold balls, dinner parties and charity events. Until the First World War, it was also the appropriate time to reside in the city rather than in the country in order to attend such events.

The National Debutante Cotillion and Thanksgiving Ball is an annual dance and formal debutante presentation of young women in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1949 by Miss Mary-Stuart Montague Price, one of the grande dames of Washington society. "Studie", as she is affectionately known, continues to serve as Chairman Emerita.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cotillion</span> Type of social dance

The cotillion is a social dance, popular in 18th-century Europe and North 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Arthur Williams</span> American preservationist

James Arthur Williams was an American antiques dealer and a historic preservationist based in Savannah, Georgia. He played an active role in the preservation of the Savannah Historic District for over 35 years.

The International Debutante Ball is an invitation-only, formal debutante ball, to officially present well-connected young women from upper-class families to high society. Founded in 1954, it occurs every two years at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dance party</span> Social gathering at which people dance

A dance party is a social gathering where dancing is the primary activity. Some dance parties are held in a casual setting and open to the public, such as a rave, or those held in nightclubs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High society</span> People with the highest levels of wealth and social status

High society, sometimes simply society, is the behavior and lifestyle of people with the highest levels of wealth and social status. It includes their related affiliations, social events and practices. Upscale social clubs were open to men based on assessments of their ranking and role within high society. In American high society, the Social Register was traditionally a key resource for identifying qualified members. For a global perspective, see upper class. The quality of housing, clothing, servants and dining were visible marks of membership.

The Cotillion Ballroom is a concert venue in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is located between Maize Road and 119th Street West on the north side of Kellogg in west Wichita.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bal des débutantes</span> French debutante ball

Le Bal des Débutantes, also known simply as "le Bal", is a debutante ball and fashion event held annually in November in Paris, bringing together between 20 and 25 debutantes aged 16 to 22 from many countries, together with their parents and a similar number of young men. It started as a social event and was first held in the Orangery of the Château de Versailles on 10 July 1958.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craig Wadsworth</span> Diplomat, rider, Rough Rider, Craig W. Wadsworth

Craig Wharton Wadsworth was a diplomat, steeplechase rider, and member of Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders.

The North Carolina Debutante Ball, also known as the Terpsichorean Society Debutante Ball, is an annual debutante ball held in Raleigh, North Carolina. The ball, hosted by the Terpsichorean Club of Raleigh, is the oldest and most prestigious debutante ball in North Carolina. Originally organized in 1923 as the Raleigh Fall Festival, the formal debutante ball formed in 1927 with the founding of the Terpischorean Club. The ball is held every year over Labor Day weekend in downtown Raleigh.

The Richmond German Christmas Dance is an annual ball held during the Christmas season at The Commonwealth Club in Richmond, Virginia. Founded in 1866, shortly after the end of the American Civil War, it is the oldest debutante ball in Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">610 Stompers</span> Dance group in New Orleans, United States

Started in 2009, the 610 Stompers are the first and only all-male dance group in New Orleans. Named for the Superdome section where the founder, Brett Patron (“Slab”), had season tickets to the New Orleans Saints, the 610 Stompers march in Mardi Gras parades, perform at charity events, and dance at halftime shows.

References

  1. Goldstein, Jacob; Kedmey, Dan. "Great Moments In 1% History". query.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  2. "Hometown History: The Rosa T. Beard Debutante Club". WJBF. 2024-03-14. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  3. Reft, Ryan (2021-12-02). "Intern Spotlight: Debutante Daughters: Celebrating Black Life at Cotillion | Unfolding History". The Library of Congress. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  4. 1 2 3 Staff, Site (2015-11-03). "Society's Daughters". South Magazine. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  5. "Debutantes presented at Christmas Cotillion". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved 2024-07-01.