MIAMI — Angelica Garcia celebrated her sixth birthday with a Cinderella-themed party. For her all-important 15th birthday, the Cuban American teen is amping up the fairy tale theme, celebrating her quinceañera with a powder-blue ballgown and an elaborate photo shoot complete with a horse and carriage — while swapping the more formal ballroom waltzes for a “crazy hour” and reggaeton. Far from losing steam, there’s been a resurgence in the coming-of-age tradition celebrated by generations of Latino families.
And in a TikTok and Instagram world, teens want their parties and pictures to be bigger and bolder. “It’s gonna be my own little thing,” Garcia said about ditching the traditional waltz dancing, “because it’s more of my traditional way of dancing in my family — it’s more of a Cuban reggaeton type, and at the end, there’s a little bit of hip-hop.” While embracing the celebration, young Latinas are remaking quinceañeras, from the outfits to the pictures and the parties.
The ballgowns used to be white or beige — now, party planners told NBC News, every color is out on the dance floor. The quintessential quinceañera court — a group of the birthday girl’s friends and family who would perform a traditional, choreographed waltz at the party — has mostly been phased out, as Garcia is doing at her party. And in the social media age, the quinces photo shoot has become the most important part of the celebration, involving outfit changes into f.