A traditional quinceañera court includes 14 damas, or young women attendants.
Together with the quinceañera, the 14 damas create a symbolic group of 15. Traditional courts also include 14 male attendants, although families may use a smaller court, a mixed group, or no court at all in contemporary celebrations.
The attendants often participate in coordinated formalwear, rehearsed dances, photographs, and the entrance or presentation. Their roles are ceremonial rather than legally or religiously required.
Court sizes and titles vary by country and family. The number 14 is associated with the classic arrangement because it complements the celebrant’s age, not because every modern quinceañera must follow that format.