a lively ballroom dance popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, or a formal ball where such dances were performed.
From French 'cotillon', derived from 'cote' (skirt), because the dancers' skirts moved dramatically during the dance. It became associated with elaborate court dances.
Cotillions were incredibly complicated with intricate figures and partnerships—a cotillion card could involve dozens of dance moves and partner changes. Learning to dance one properly was a mark of social status and education!
Cotillon was a 18th-century ballroom dance with gendered choreography and etiquette rules that strictly regulated female and male roles. The formal structure encoded expectations about women's passivity and men's leadership in social performance.
Use neutrally when describing the historical dance or modern variations. Consider noting the historical gender rigidity when teaching or performing.
["ballroom dance","quadrille","group dance"]
Women choreographers and dance teachers modernized cotillions in the 20th century, removing gender-prescriptive elements and creating versions valuing all participants equally.
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