Register now for our FALL 2025 BRJC Cotillion Program
Eighth and Ninth Combined Grades Season of Events. (Fall 2025).

This is great for students that have completed our Beginner or Intermediate levels of our cotillion program, but it is also appropriate for brand new students to BRJC to join in the fun as well.

In our advanced cotillion group for eighth and ninth graders, teens will learn to become a Great Host/Hostess, Guest, Master Social Skills, Perfect Table Manners, and Dance Your Way to Confidence and much more with BRJC Cotillion.

The BRJC Cotillion program not only empowers your teen with essential social skills, but it also provides the opportunity to master ballroom and line dancing, a key aspect of navigating formal events with grace and confidence. Whether it’s attending a family dinner, a birthday party, or their first job interview, these skills will help your teen succeed in any setting. 

We love teaching our advanced group of eighth and ninth graders each season as we cover essential etiquette topics that benefit them now and in the future. Let’s take a look at how our program equips teens to shine in all situations.

How to Be a Great Host or Hostess:

Being a gracious host is an essential skill that can help your teen create memorable experiences for their guests while making them feel comfortable and valued. Here’s a glimpse of what they’ll learn:

• Inviting Guests with Confidence: How to craft formal and informal invitations, both online and in-person, ensuring everyone feels welcome and excited.
• Hosting with Grace: Organizing an event or gathering with care—from setting up, greeting guests, and ensuring the flow of the evening runs smoothly.
• Making Guests Feel Comfortable: Knowing how to introduce guests to one another, creating conversation starters, and keeping everyone engaged.
• Gracious Goodbyes: Ensuring that guests leave feeling appreciated and respected and mastering the art of expressing gratitude.

How to Be a Great Guest:

Good guests leave a lasting impression. With the skills learned at BRJC Cotillion, your preteen will know how to behave as a guest and demonstrate good manners:

• RSVP Etiquette: The importance of responding to invites in a timely manner and understanding the impact of not doing so.
• Arriving on Time and Prepared: Showing respect for others' time by arriving punctually, prepared with any necessary items (like a gift or dish for a potluck).
• Being Gracious and Engaged: Learning how to interact with fellow guests, keep conversations positive, and avoid being a passive observer.
• Respecting the Host’s Space and Rules: How to behave in the host’s home and respect their event’s timeline and guidelines. And thoughts on ideas to bring a small gift to the host/hostess as a sweet token of thoughtfulness for including them.

Perfecting Table Manners:

Table manners are an essential part of any social gathering, and BRJC Cotillion will help your teen feel comfortable at any dining event, whether casual or formal. Here’s a glimpse of what your teen will master:

• Proper Silverware Usage: Learning how to use each utensil correctly, from the soup spoon to the dessert spoon, and knowing which silverware to use for each course.
• Napkin Etiquette: The importance of using a napkin appropriately, placing it on their lap, and how to handle spills or crumbs politely and more.
• Course Transitions: How to transition smoothly through multiple courses at a formal dinner, including when to wait to start eating, how to pace themselves, and when it’s appropriate to engage in conversation.
• Eating with Confidence: Tips for chewing with the mouth closed, cutting food properly, and handling food with ease to avoid any awkward moments during meals.
• Gracious Dining Behavior: How to express gratitude to the host, participate in conversations during dinner, and use polite manners in any dining situation.

Ballroom and Line Dance Instruction:

Social dancing is a fun and vital part of the Cotillion experience, providing your teen with the opportunity to build confidence, teamwork, and coordination while enjoying themselves on the dance floor. Here’s what they’ll learn:

• Ballroom Dance Basics: Teens will learn the fundamentals of traditional ballroom and Latin dances, including the Tango, Mambo, and Samba, while also reviewing the Foxtrot, Cha Cha Cha and Rumba. These classic dances are timeless and mastering them will help them navigate formal events with ease.
• Line Dance Fun: Students will also learn the latest line dances that are perfect for any casual gathering or event. These dances ensure that everyone has fun. 
• Building Confidence through Dance: Dancing provides a chance for preteens to express themselves in a supportive, fun environment. The movements help build poise, rhythm, and coordination, preparing them for any dance floor, whether it’s at prom, a wedding, family event, or social gathering.
• Social Etiquette on the Dance Floor: In addition to dance steps, students will learn the proper etiquette when dancing with others—how to ask someone for a dance, introductions, and how to engage in polite conversation while dancing.

Navigating Your First Job Interview, Networking and Making a Lasting Impression:

The Cotillion program doesn’t just teach social interactions at parties and dinners—it also prepares teens for more formal situations, such as job interviews. Here's how:

• Making a Strong First Impression: Teaching your teen how to introduce themselves confidently, with a firm handshake and eye contact.
• What to Wear: Choosing the right attire for an interview—understanding professional dress codes and how to make a polished impression through clothing choices. From business casual to full professional attire, your teen will know exactly how to dress for success.
• Networking: We’ll have a fun exercise for students to learn how to network at events.
• Communication Tips: How to answer questions thoughtfully, maintain a positive tone, and convey their skills and interests clearly.
• Thank You Notes: After the interview, your teen will learn how to write a professional, gracious thank-you note, showing appreciation for the opportunity.

How to Invite Friends to Join You for an Event:

As your teen builds confidence in social settings, they'll also learn how to invite friends to events—whether it’s for a casual get-together or a formal celebration:

• The Art of the Invitation: Mastering how to extend an invitation—both verbally and through formal or digital channels.
• Being Clear and Specific: Helping your teen understand how to give clear details about the event (time, location, dress code, etc.), so that their friends know exactly what to expect.
• Following Up with Friends: Teaching the importance of confirming attendance and being responsible when it comes to event planning.

Why BRJC Cotillion is a Must for Your Teen:

Our comprehensive Cotillion program is not only about learning proper table manners or dance moves—it’s about giving your teen the skills they need to stand out in both social and professional settings. Whether it’s for their first job interview, a special event, or simply developing meaningful relationships with peers, the lessons from Cotillion will last a lifetime.

Ready to Take Your Teen’s Social Skills to the Next Level?

Registration now for our BRJC Fall 2025 Cotillion season. Don’t miss this opportunity to invest in your teen’s future with the tools they need to succeed.

Registration is currently open for our Fall 2025 season.

The BRJC Fall 2025 Eighth and Ninth Combined Grades Cotillion Schedule

Our Eighth and Ninth Combined Grades Cotillion meets on four Saturday evenings from 8:30pm - 9:45 pm at the Bentonville Community Center (BCC). 

Students will also attend a 4-course guided etiquette dinner on a Sunday evening at a local restaurant in September, please see below.

Eighth and Ninth Combined Grades Event Schedule: (FALL 2025)

Guided Etiquette Dinner (4:30 pm - 7:00 pm at a local restaurant): Students will attend one dinner event. Please reserve this date on your calendar for now.

Eighth and Ninth Combined Grades Registration and Tuition

• Tuition: $230 per student (includes PayPal fee)
• Deposit: A non-refundable deposit of $110 ($115 with PayPal fees) along with an application is due at the time of student registration. The deposit counts towards the total tuition.
• Remaining Tuition Due: The remaining tuition balance is due by August 5, 2025. The director will send a PayPal invoice in July to participants for the remaining balance due.
• Late Registrations: Registrations on August 5th or later are considered late registrations and require a $25 late fee with application. All late registrations require the full tuition payment and application at that time.

Invitations will be sent via email to registered participants. We currently have opening for both boys and girls in this group. If spaces are still available, invitations will continue through September. In the event of uneven participant ratios, a waitlist may be created. Thank you for your understanding!

How to Register:
Register below or email BRJCmanners@gmail.com for more information. Early registration is highly encouraged as spots fill up quickly!

Applications are first applied, first accepted, as spots remain. 

Refund Policy:

Payments are non-refundable. Please note that your student’s registration and payment are for the Fall 2025 cotillion season and are non-transferable to future events. We plan our venues, staffing, and dining well in advance, so check your calendars carefully. Thank you.

Can’t make this Fall cotillion season of events? Join our email list to be notified about our other popular etiquette events for teens, such as dining etiquette events!