It’s Spring!
And all the little buds are getting ready to burst into bloom on the trees and flowers.
Kerchew! 
And it’s that time of year for those lovely high school debutantes to come out in their Presents!
What a beautiful tradition…
The debutantes in their gorgeous white long dresses and their dads and escorts dressed to the nines in their pressed tails and white gloves.
The hotel ballroom busting with elegant flower centerpieces and a stage all set up for the girls to be presented for all to applaud.
These well planned and elaborate evenings often include slide shows of the girl’s years from childhood all the way through high school spotlighting their accomplishments and adventures as well as an elaborate sit down dinner for family and friends and, you guessed it… lots of dancing!
An important part of the evening, and dear to my heart, is the father daughter group dance.
A spectacle that brings tears to everyone’s eyes as they watch the flurry of white satin and tulle and the looks on the dads faces as they waltz their lovely daughters around the floor.
This year I’ve been fortunate to teach dancing steps and choreography to two groups of debutantes and their dads.
What fun!
We’ve got some great songs and the dads are super positive about learning the steps and dancing their daughters confidently through their dance together.
I overheard one debutante say laughingly, “Dad, come on – remember the turn and make me look like I know what I’m doing!”
Her dad nodded obediently and they danced through the Ladies Under Arm Turn one more time with a flourish. Of course just a few eyelash battings and daughters have their dads right where they want them!
Wikipedia Definition
The word debutante comes from the French word meaning “female beginner” and traditionally was a young lady from an aristocratic or upper class family who had reached the age of maturity. As a new adult she was then allowed to be introduced to society in a formal manner known as her “debut”.
Originally this meant the young woman was now eligible to marry! And part of the debut’s purpose was to “display” her to eligible bachelors and their families with a view to marriage within her “class” circle.
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Well, we’ve come a long way since those days but the quaint old custom is still a lovely one.
Of course these days debutantes also give back to their communities through extensive volunteerism and supporting philanthropies with hands on activities on a local level.
If you’d like to learn more about the Debutante Father Daughter dance visit my web page here:
http://ourweddingdance.com/debutantefatherdaughterdance.htm
Happy Spring!
Jillian
Smile and say "Debutante"!
