Jon D. Williams Cotillions was founded in 1949 by Jon and Vivian Williams, professional exhibition ballroom dancers and instructors who settled in Colorado after the births of their two children.  Their first cotillion program was organized  and hosted at the world famous Broadmoor Hotel, nestled at the foot of Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs.  While our founders have passed away, their legacy lives on carried out today by an exceptional staff, most of whom were trained personally by them. 

A native of Greenwich, Connecticut, Vivian learned ballroom etiquette at the Miss Blase Cotillion in the Plaza Hotel in New York City.  She debuted at the Hotel Pierre and attended the Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Manhattan. With her trim figure and swept-back blond hair, Vivian's pictures from early womanhood evoke the 1930s version of Greta Garbo.

Jon grew up in Orangeville, Pennsylvania. His grandfather and father owned a summer resort and got the boy passes to hear the big bands of Ted Lewis and Tommy Dorsey in their ballroom, where Jon instantly fell in love with dancing. In 1932, while attending medical school in New York, he read an ad for Arthur Murray in a mail-order catalog ("We'll teach you to become a dance instructor"). Jon applied, was accepted, and he dropped medicine flat.

At Arthur Murray's, Jon's first dancing partner was Jimmy Stewart's wife, Gloria. He was informed that she was too tall for him, and Arthur Murray advised the young man to begin working with a blond debutante named Vivian. Thus began the brilliant career of Jon and Vivian Williams as the number one instructional team for Arthur Murray, performing in the best hotels from New York to California. Soon the perfect dance partners became partners in life and were married.

After World War II, Jon was contacted by Fred Astaire and offered the position of setting up the first Fred Astaire Studios across the country. He jumped at the opportunity. During this period Astaire was also looking for dance partners to develop new routines. Astaire asked Vivian to audition and her first appearance at the Park Avenue studio was vintage 1940s Hollywood. As the other dancers gathered to watch, the new partners walked to the middle of the floor, the music was cued and the moment of truth had come. Could Vivian dance with the legendary Fred Astaire? Vivian followed everything Astaire did with perfection and one of Astaire's most formidable new dance partners was born. Among other new dances, Astaire and Vivian created the "Swing Trot," that they demonstrated to their instructors, who in turn taught it to studio pupils.

Decades later, their talent, devotion to dance and social education and an illustrious career are not forgotten.  Jon and Vivian Williams danced through several generations and across the breadth of American and laid the foundation for JDW Social Education Programs.  Presently run by their son, Jon D. Williams III, the company has expanded from six cotillion programs in 1975, into a multi-faceted national business.

Through the JDW division, over 47 Cotillion programs are presented annually from Boston, Massachusetts to Monterey, California. These programs are taught to over 10,000 young people ages 8-18 each year.  The other three corporate divisions are:  SEE - Survival Etiquette Essentials - socials skills training for pre-teens and teens, ESP - Executive Social Presentation - adult training programs in social & business relationships for individuals, groups, colleges and businesses, and NCSE - National Center for Social Education - a social skills training program for certification and licensing.

Believing that everyone can benefit from social skills education, Jon Williams III continually looks for ways to make the programs accessible and affordable.  Each year he and his staff provide pro bono training for at-risk youth in social skills and dance.  The Company also provides over $80,000 annually in service, scholarships and discount memberships to the Cotillion programs, and supports numerous charities nationally.