A traditional quinceañera court usually includes 14 young women accompanying the celebrant.
The court is commonly called the damas, the Spanish word for “ladies.” Together with the quinceañera, the 14 damas can symbolize the celebrant’s fifteen years. A corresponding group of male escorts, often called chambelanes, may also participate, although the size and composition of the court are not universal.
The court often performs a rehearsed entrance or waltz at the reception. Participants may wear coordinated formal clothing, while the quinceañera wears a distinctive dress. Contemporary families frequently modify the tradition: some choose fewer attendants, an all-gender court, no court at all, or a court made up of close relatives and friends.
Because customs differ, 14 is best understood as the traditional number rather than a rule imposed on every celebration. The number is especially associated with the symbolism of adding the celebrant to make fifteen people in the formal court.