Welcome to Town & Country Cotillion
Our goal at Town & Country Cotillion is to teach your child social dancing in an organized, professional, yet fun environment. Our program teaches the importance of social etiquette among young ladies and gentlemen, while at the same time instilling in the students a feeling of rhythm and an enjoyment of dancing. At Town & Country Cotillion we emphasize the values of kindness, courtesy and mutual respect.
Our Program
For over 55 years, Town & Country Cotillion has been held at The Tuckahoe Woman’s Club in a near West End neighborhood with easy access from major highways and ample parking. Cotillion is offered to boys and girls in the 6th, 7th and 8th grades. There are seven instructional dances for each group which take place during the school year. The dances are held approximately once or twice a month on weekend late afternoon and evenings and vary between formal, semiformal and various theme dances. The children are taught the dance steps from our professional instructor and are given opportunities to practice what they have learned with many different partners. As the year progresses, the children grow more confident with their dancing ability and more comfortable with each other. We stay current and relevant in our dances and music choices so our students can relate to and use what they have learned during Cotillion.
Our students come from both private and public schools throughout the Richmond and surrounding areas. We work closely with parent volunteer representatives from the various schools to organize a group of boys and girls from their child’s grade.
History
Town & Country Cotillion is a locally owned business. It was founded in 1961 by four partners, including Nancy Butcher Leake, the mother one of the current owners, Laura Leake Brown. Cotillion has taken place at the Tuckahoe Woman's Club since its inception. It is currently owned by Laura Brown and Suzanne Hoffman, both children of former owners - a true family tradition!
Meet the Directors
Laura Leake Brown
Town & Country Cotillion was started in 1961 by Laura’s mother and 3 close friends. As a child, Laura attended cotillion and worked as a helper at cotillion when she was in high school. Laura graduated from St. Catherine’s School and Hollins University. She and her husband, Charlie have lived in Richmond for over 30 years where they raised their 3 grown children, all of whom participated in Town & Country Cotillion. “Cotillion has been a part of my life since I can remember. My mother was one of the original founders, I attended this cotillion as a student, worked as a helper, and all 3 of my children participated in the program and worked as helpers. I have been a daughter of an owner, a parent of children who attended and now I am running the program. I feel as if I know the business from all sides and I am proud that this wonderful Richmond tradition is as strong as it was over 60 years ago. Many of our current parents sending their children to our cotillion also came when they were in middle school – we are on our second generation!”
Laura became a partner in Town & Country Cotillion in 2001. In addition to being a partner in Cotillion, Laura has been a 25 year employee at St. Christopher’s School where she works as a secretary.
Suzanne Moncure Davidson
Suzanne attended Town & Country from 6th to 8th grade while attending The Collegiate School in Richmond, VA. She later enjoyed working there as a Dance Assistant and Dance Leader. Her mother, Nancy Moncure was an owner for over 20 years. When her mother retired in 2006 Suzanne was a natural to become an owner and follow in her mother’s footsteps.
Suzanne attended the University of Oregon where she received a BS degree in Psychology. She worked as an elementary teacher for over 7 years.
"On a more personal note, as a parent it is important to me to offer a positive, enriching and fun experience for our children.
I love that phones are off, no one’s texting; the students are actually talking to each other, smiling having a good time, even learning to dance.
I also love that they can carry this experience with them to their first job or school interview, school dance, family wedding. I think middle school is developmentally the perfect time to introduce these skills. I also think cotillion is a great supervised activity for this age group."
Sandy Yeon, Dance Instructor
Sandy Yeon, our professional ballroom dance instructor, has been with our cotillion for the past 15 years. Her experience with children and her ability to make the students feel successful while learning the basic steps, rhythm and dance, combine to make a fun and constructive night for our students.
Sandy has over 35 years of teaching experience, is a Virginia State Theatrical Champion, a US Pro Am Ballroom and Latin Champion, and has won numerous teaching awards throughout the country.
Sandy has three sons; including twin boys currently working in our program. Her professional dance background and experience with today’s youth combine to make her a real asset to our program. In addition, her humor with her relaxed, knowledgeable style of teaching make the children feel comfortable, even as they are put in these new social situations.
For private or group lessons for all ages Sandy can be reached at email sandy.yeon@yahoo.com or call (804)426-4228