Good Southern manners never go out of style. For decades, Ann Druhan, known as "Miss Ann" to her students, has been teaching young Mobilians to dance. Eight years ago, she enlisted Audrey Patterson to teach an etiquette class prior to her ballroom lessons. Together, they teach about 200 fifth and sixth graders each year. Ballroom dance instruction has long been a rite of passage for preteens. It comes at a time when many girls are allowed to pierce their ears or start shaving their legs. For boys, it's often the first time they have really socialized with girls outside of school. As part of the fun, ballroom carpool groups have gone to Cammie's Old Dutch Ice Cream Shoppe after class for the past four decades. Over the years, some things have changed a little. "Back when I started, girls used to wear the handmade lace dresses for the final night," says Druhan. "Now, they just wear Sunday school type attire." The dance teacher did not compromise, however, on the girls' requests to dress like Britney Spears or to wear mules, shoes with no backs. The code specifies: "Girls are to wear skirts and blouses or dresses. Long pants are not allowed. Please wear shoes with backs on them and leather-type soles. Boys are to wear sport shirts or golf shirts with long pants. No blue jeans are allowed. Please wear shoes with leather-type soles. Tennis shoes are not allowed." KEEPING UP WITH TECHNOLOGY Preteens' behavior and dress codes have changed relatively little over the years. What is most different, says Druhan, is technology. "I started off with 33s, then 45s, then 8-tracks, cassettes, CDs and now I have an iPod," she says. Technology has also affected etiquette instruction. When children talk on cell phones or text around others, it is not only impolite, but it breaks down communication and takes them out of social interaction, Patterson says. "Don't bring anything to the table but yourself," she reminds them. "You come to enjoy the meal and the fellowship." Patterson has bent a bit on the e-mail thank-you note. "In certain instances it may be OK. But writing a note on stationery is still the most gracious response." In the classes, the children gain self-confidence in social situations. "Knowing how to stand up nice and straight, introduce yourself and shake hands properly are very important lifelong skills," Patterson says. Table manners are also emphasized. The final night, the students enjoy a formal dinner at Ruth's Chris Steak House. But perhaps the most important thing the ladies are teaching the younger generation is that good manners and gracious behavior are always in style. Image information: Main: Students practice ballroom steps. On the last evening, boys dance with their mothers and girls with their fathers. Left: Druhan with her favorite dance partner, her husband John Center: Patterson was Druhan's natural choice for an etiquette instructor. "Audrey is so gracious and poised," Druhan says. Right: The preteens learn to properly dine in a formal situation. Photos by Mehrdad Vaghefi.