Ballroom dancing plus manners — handshakes, eye contact, posture, first impressions — for kids entering 5th grade. Classes in Wellesley, Wayland/Weston, Dover/Sherborn, Hingham and Cohasset. Enrollment opens April 1.
This is the Boston area’s cotillion: a fall-to-spring series where 5th graders learn the foxtrot, waltz and swing alongside how to shake hands, look someone in the eye, stand up straight and make a good first impression. It has run since 1929 and is now directed by Douglas Trudeau. Classes are grouped by town — Wellesley, Wayland/Weston, Dover/Sherborn, and Hingham/Cohasset on the South Shore. The site’s title also mentions Cambridge, but there is no Cambridge sign-up.
Dress code is part of the point: party dresses and white gloves for girls, jacket and tie for boys, no sneakers. Cost isn’t published; full and partial scholarships are available — email to ask. Enrollment opens April 1 and sections fill, so fall 2026 may already be full — get on the list for 2027.
Nearby: Wellesley · Weston · Dover · Hingham guides, and all kids’ ballroom classes.