In a quinceañera’s court of honor, damas is the Spanish word usually used for female attendants and literally means “ladies.”
A court of honor may accompany the celebrant throughout the formal parts of the event. The damas can enter with the quinceañera, wear coordinated dresses, pose for photographs, and perform a rehearsed dance with chambelanes or with one another.
The word is related to dama, the singular form. Spanish uses the plural damas when referring to more than one female attendant. English-language celebrations may retain the Spanish term even when the rest of the event is conducted partly or entirely in English.
The presence of damas is customary rather than mandatory. Families may select relatives, classmates, or close friends, and the court can be large, small, or omitted. The role is also separate from that of a madrina, who is generally a sponsor or godmother rather than a member of the dance court.