Cotillion

Cotillion (French cotillon,”petticoat”), French dance for four couples in square formation, a form of contredanse that originated about 1700 (See also Country Dance). By about 1800, it spread to England and North America and elsewhere. One variety of the cotillion developed three to five complex figures, each with its own tune; known as the quadrille, it was the direct ancestor of the American square dance. In the late 19th century the remaining varieties of the cotillion developed into flirting game-dances with prizes, forfeits, and frequent exchanges of partners.