In a traditional quinceañera, the celebrant’s formal court of companions is called the corte de honor.
The phrase is Spanish for “court of honor.” It usually refers to the young people who accompany the quinceañera during the entrance, formal photographs, choreographed dances, and other prominent parts of the celebration. Members may include girls called damas and boys called chambelanes, although the exact composition varies by family and region.
The court is ceremonial rather than governmental or royal. Its purpose is to highlight the celebrant and provide partners for formal dances. Some modern quinceañeras use a mixed-gender group, a court made entirely of friends of one gender, or no court at all.
A corte de honor is not the same thing as the padrinos, who are sponsors or benefactors associated with particular parts of the celebration. Terminology and customs differ across Latin America, the United States, and Spanish-speaking communities, so families may adapt the tradition to suit their own religious and cultural practices.