L’Elegance “Children of the King” Cotillion History

Two Women – One Dream

Approximately 12 years ago, one woman had a desire to help young people. Another woman had a deep desire for her 2 children to be a part of something special. As they talked, they realized they had the same dream. After many conversations, they decided to make their dream a reality. They began their journey on May 14, 1995. They gathered as much information as possible and sought the help of many cotillion trailblazers: Jackie Bethea of the Maryland L’Elegance Cotillion, willingly shared with them; Joyce Temple Baptist Cotillion Group also provided valuable information.

With God’s help, these two women, Hetha Dixon and Kenlyn Seard, began working untiringly to form a committee that would assist them in this task - a task which appeared to be monumental to some and frivolous to others. However, realizing that their dream was now close to becoming a reality, they worked persistently as they recognized the enormity of the job they had undertaken. They became public relations specialists, recruiting a small committee (Philippa McGhee, Dean Mayes, Marvene Carey, Claire Benson, and Maria Butler), and began the journey.

Their first job was convincing the church community of the need for a cotillion in the Metropolitan Nashville S.D.A. area churches and acquiring the support of the pastors. Pastor Xavier Butler was ecstatic and encouraging about the plans for the first Children of the King Cotillion. He became a self-appointed public relations spokesman, and a walking publicist for their cause.

The committee began correspondence with the area churches in an effort to recruit participants. Twelve participants responded and there was only one “casualty” along the way. The two women (now “co-coordinators”) continued on the journey, and kept on organizing, praying, and working. The saying, “What you don’t know, won’t hurt you,” was very apropos in this situation because these women organized and presented the first
Cotillion in only five months. By comparison, the 2006-2007 L’Elegance Cotillion was organized and is being presented within fourteen months.

The first cotillion, the 1995 Children of the King Cotillion, had eleven participants – seven Beaus and four Debutantes: Luther Adair II, Rodney Dunlap, Sabrina Lester, Tiara Monk, Gerard Overton, Kenny Pitt, Kristen Seard, Thomas Seard, Tamika Staton, Dean Thompson and Michael Tompkins.

In 1997 the Children of the King participants were Candace Adair, Mishawn Buck, Jannae Gaiter, Sylvia Johnson, Kelli Neal, and Tiffany Rugless.

There were fifteen beaus and debs in 1999. They were: Jennifer Adair, Raeshon Botkin, John Carey, Gwendolyn Clarke II, Courtney Edmond, Enrequis Gentry, Jonathan Hamilton, Edward Jones III, Chasati Knight, Stafanie Lester, Lerone Major, Justin McFarland, Lakeesha Taylor, Jennifer Thompson, and Joseph Young.

The 2001 Cotillion participants included Kianah Anderson, Christopher Ballard, Adrian Bennett, Allyson Brown, William Currie, Erica Eddings, Jennifer Harrison, David Lynes, Takeisha Knight, Kimberly McFarland, Lauren Rugless, Ashley Smith, Sochel Thomas, Suelyn Thomas, and Cheree Williams.

In 2003 our committee members presented Cotillion participants Janelle Ballard, Jasmine Bean, Orville Bignall, Geeann Blackman, Earl Campbell III, Aryn Eddings, Ashley Eddings, Paul Jobson, Ashley Ford, Nathan Lester, Maria Lynes, Timesha Marshall, Kyra McNeal, Leslie Rolle Jr., George Seay II, Sharnell Smith, Stephanie Taylor, and Brandy Whaley.

Our Cotillion participants in 2005 were Kemi Adedokun, Christina Blair, Brittany Bowers, Candace Bradshaw, Laurielle Campbell, Ja’nay Chester, Jocelyn Cole, Ryan Coopwood, Stephanie Freeman, Britney Green, Brenton Harrison, Judith Luckett, Carlos Lynes, Andrew Marshall, Simone Medley, Brandon Middleton, Kamilah Moore, Joi Overton, KaTina Poe, April Seay, and Alison Wright.

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