Hansen aims to empower teen girls with her Modern Debutante program

Published 11:42 am Friday, February 8, 2013

For many people, the term “debutante” brings to mind visions of fancy gowns and tuxedos, a fair amount of ballroom-style dancing and not much else.

Redmond resident Esther Hansen is hoping to change this with The Modern Debutante program, a 10-week empowerment nonprofit program she founded for young women from 15-18 years old.

As part of the program, the teens will receive four dance lessons to learn poise, grace and confidence. Hansen said debutantes will receive instruction in the waltz, foxtrot, swing and salsa from Briora Ballroom Dance Studio in Overlake. She added that the girls and their chaperones will also prepare a short Viennese waltz routine for the “Procession of Debutantes,” which will be performed during The Modern Debutante Ball at the end of the program.

Hansen said the ball, which will be at the Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, and the Viennese waltz routine are a way to pay homage to traditional debutante programs, but they are only one part of her program.

“(The ball is) not the event itself,” she said. “It’s just the conclusion.”

The “event” in the Modern Debutante program is the personal growth the girls experience during the 10-week period.

In addition to the dance lessons, debutantes will attend three education seminars on women in history, women in business and women in philanthropy and the community.

They will also receive practical lessons from local professionals and businesses:

Jennifer Beardall, a local certified public accountant (CPA), will lead a class on personal finance and budgeting. The course will stress the importance of personal finance, as well as provide the teens with the skills they need to take control of their financial future.

Platinum Salon in Bellevue will host a course focusing on the connection between inner and outer beauty. Debutantes will learn to embrace their inner strength and how to have that reflected in their outward appearance. In addition, the girls have the opportunity to have a one-on-one consultation with a hairstylist, as well as an optional makeover or hairstyling appointment. Coloring and cuts are also available with parental consent.

The final practical lesson will be dining etiquette, which will be presented by Final Touch Finishing School at Sages Restaurant in Redmond. Debutantes will enjoy a four-course meal, as well as receive instruction on proper dining etiquette.

Leading up to the ball, debutantes will receive a final appointment at Platinum Salon to get their hair styled for the event. They will also have a personal photography session with Seattle-based Meryl Schenker Photography.

Hansen said traditional debutante programs tend to have negative and archaic connotations, which is why she is including the seminars and practical lessons in her program. However, she also has a strong sense of tradition and its importance. Hansen said in a post-Title IX (the law that made gender-based discrimination in education programming and activities illegal) world, there is so much focus on equality that traits tied with tradition such as grace and etiquette get placed on the back burner.

“I’m trying to bridge the qualities of the traditional debutante with the empowerment of the modern woman,” she said.

The goal of the Modern Debutante is to bring the two frames of mind together and instill confidence in the girls so they realize they can become anything they want. Whether they set out to be a surgeon, a school teacher, a stay-at-home mom or a lawyer, Hansen said she wants the young ladies to realize that all of these are valid choices and what they learn in her program is applicable to all areas.

“Anyone can learn and become a better them,” she explained.

For more information about the Modern Debutante, visit moderndebutante.net or email esther@moderndebutante.net.