Cotillion -A Coming of Age Ceremony for Some

Cotillion is a coming of age ceremony that belongs only to the noble families in larger towns and cities in Autauga though of course the introduction to formal dance has been copied and reproduced in other places as it becomes better known and heard of.   Cotillion is the teaching of the formalities of courtship dances for the young among the nobles and upper classes. Students attend summer camps devoted to nothing more than learning the correctness of every move made by those involved in the courtship dance and are hovered over by anxious parents, guardians, and the masters of the dance itself.   The sons and daughters between the ages of 15 and 18 are, with the correct credentials that is, invited to this seemingly very informal camp that is in all actuality the farthest thing from informal one could name. There is stringent criteria for entrance to its graces. Only the best of the best are meant to learn the formal courtship ritual dance in this way. One could even say it's a way of learning who ones' likely prospective life partners are.   If you were a young girl and your best friend told you she was going to horse camp one week and then Cotillion the next week, you would likely have no idea what she was talking about unless you too were part of the crowd intended to be combed and curried much like a fine race horse for the courtship of Autauga's next generation of leaders.   The dance itself is, of course, the main thing but behind the scenes, and in the hands of anxious matrons and guardians are the fathers and mothers whose job it is to prime their young budding adult children into the most sought after mates for the cream of the Cotillion.   Like horse camp, Cotillion takes place far outside the city, in a little known place that looks like nothing more than a large greying barn that might hold camp horses in fact. The doors to the barn like structure are banded in iron however, and emanate a virtual 'no trespassing by the likes of you' signal to people who aren't invited.   The young men and women arrive in carriages wearing their home finery. They are relieved of their carriage by well dressed gentlemen wearing black silk and sporting top hats. If there were any stray witness to the event, the stray witness would certainly be curious but seeing the finery of the folk involved, would most likely slink back behind the tree line so as not to be seen or questioned by his or her betters.   Once inside the misnamed 'barn', the pageantry truly begins. The younger generation, with energy and verve would like nothing more than to be let loose on their own but alas, that would never do. They are taken into individual changing rooms and with pins and measurements, they are, for all practical purposes, sewn into their new finery where they will participate in their first lesson in formal dance.   Owing to its very secretive and yet celebratory nature, Cotillion becomes a topic that almost harbors a taboo status. But the young can always be forgiven for giving it away when after their two week adventure in the country they come home red cheeked and brimming with the need to talk to their other friends about Cotillion. Even the rare old maid or man who never marries will often be heard at fine parties reminiscing over his or her days of Cotillion.   It isn't the pairing off of prime couples that is the Coming of Age Ceremony, it's the Cotillion itself of course. And that is where those who try to mimic the painstaking learning of the ritualistic formal dance can never truly fit into fine society for they simply don't understand that it's the Cotillion, not what comes later that is of importance. It is the shared experience. The drunken nights and forgiving days of the two week Cotillion is the Coming of Age Ceremony. But of course, only for the best young people.