A formal ball or dance party, especially one held for a special social occasion or to celebrate a group of debutantes entering society.
From French cotillon, originally a type of dance popular in 18th-century France, derived from French cotte meaning 'petticoat' or 'skirt.' The dance involved intricate movements and was later adapted into a formal social event.
Cotillions were THE way wealthy families introduced their teenage daughters to society—imagine a fancy school dance where your entire future social status got announced! They're still held today, showing how some traditions stay weirdly important for over 300 years.
Cotillions were historically debutante balls segregated by gender and social class, used to manage women's marriage prospects and reinforce elite male authority over women's social positioning.
Use historically when describing social traditions, but acknowledge the restrictive gender norms these events enforced.
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