It was invaluable for learning the basics of etiquette, dancing, and more. This was a more conservative city which still has a number of formal balls that are social rather than philanthropic. It also brought the kids from many different schools together so that their social circle was widened considerably. It begain in 5th grade - then there were separate but similar entities which you'd attend in 6-7th, then an 8th grade one. These older options provided a good supervised activity for the kids on weekend evenings.

What school will your child be going to, and what grade? Cotillion only starts in 3rd grade, I don't know about Mrs. Simpson's.

Invaluable for what? Not being cynical; just interested in your experience.

There was something like this where I grew up and it was invaluable. But we're not part of the "social set" here in DC. Will we find out about it when the time is right or will we not be invited?
Will be at one of the big 3 schools.

Some of the dances are fun... like the sock hop and the western ones. I think the coat and tie/formal dress dances are pretty unnecessary, though. Lord knows there are enough formal dances ahead as the children grow up.

I have to admit that CC isn't really that bad. It's more Mrs. Simpson that becomes a bit over the top. If you just do the CC dances, those are a bit fun... though I know some boys whose parents say they love it who themselves complain vociferously each time it comes around... though there are also certainly other boys who enjoy it. Tacking on etiquette lessons seems like a bit much, though.

I don't know. I feel like you could be wrong, poster. I have a son who does all those things. He's covered in dirt 50% of the day. Seriously. I have a kid who has hours and hours and hours of free time. We make sure we are not these overprogramming parents. So he's out in the woods, he's bringing home insects, he's inventing new recipes from the cupboard. I totaly agree that if this was every day, absolutely why would you be doing this? But in CC, it's only once a month! And that's only an hour.

Nine-year-olds shouldn't be taking etiquette and dance classes... they should be outside in the woods playing, rolling around in the dirt, riding their bikes, building things with blocks, having *imaginary* tea parties, etc. Just because some kids may have fun doesn't mean that it's a great thing for little kids to do. Mrs. Simpson and Capital Cotillion really seem like a way for parents to project their idea of fun onto their children... and to live vicariously through them. Parents are always talking about how fun/hilarious it is to see their darling boys or girls dancing and blushing and scrambling away from partners once dances are done, etc. People need to take a look at some of the books out about how children these days are nature and play deprived. Last Child in the Woods is a great one. Instead of throwing children into artificial social situations, try giving them a bit more free time to explore and use their imaginations in an unstructured way.

Mrs. Simpson's has a very strong anti-semitic history. I don't know all the details, but I know a number of Jewish families currently with school age children who have been made to feel very uncomfortable.

I am the PP (one above the PP). I understand the social snobbery factor. I was curious about whether there is something developmentally inappropriate about 9 year old boys and girls getting dressed up nicely and dancing to ballroom music. I don't get that part. What's wrong with it?

Anonymous wrote:You know, it seems to come as a big shock to some people on this board that there are things in the DC area that are exclusive. Meaning schools, clubs, playgroups, classes etc. That's just how the world is. It's not "rude" to be invitation only, unless there's something unsavory about the way that people are exlcuded (such as by race or religion). I guess in a perfect world, everything would be open to everyone, but we don't live in that world. There will always be groups or events which are open to a limited few based on a number of factors, money being only one. But I don't know what's "rude" or "disgusting" about this. And I say this as someone who has never joined a club or one of these groups (though I've been invited).

Yes, but from reading the Snob Appeal section of http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/display.php?id=27800, it sounds like Mrs. Simpson's classes do (or have) excluded people based on race or religion. I think I'll pass (not that my child would be "invited" anyway).

There was a poster who just said that this and another dance/etiquette class called cotillion were developmentally inappropriate. What is wrong with it, in terms of child development?

I think these programs are very good, especially for the boys. Thanks for the info on the Capitol Cotillion.

I sort of did this too, growing up in the NY suburbs. You didn't need a special invitation - everyone in our town was pretty much the same level of income, education, etc. We didn't need all this rude exclusiveness. It was much more civil.

My son is doing something similar -- He is doing Capitol Cotillion. Again, they dress up for dances (there's one tonight in fact), and they have etiquette classes (for an additional fee...my son went to one class where they went through a four course dinner at a country club and the instructor taught the proper way to butter bread, blow one's nose, etc).

I don't know if Capitol Cotillion was also exclusive...I do know everyone in his class got an invitation to join, but maybe it was exclusive to only some schools.

I will say the kids really love it, and it's a riot to watch the boys running to dump their partners back at their seats after each dance. I think it also is a nice way for boys and girls to build some comfort with one another dancing before they go through puberty.