The latest "Quinceañera de Oro", held in November, was redolent with that sense of nostalgia.

Singers in cowboy hats crooned romantic ballads, while bow-tied escorts — the sons and grandsons of the participants — stood ready to whisk the women onto the dance floor for the traditional waltz.

It all took place under a tent in a Mexico City alleyway with plastic chairs and tables, which held giant sheet cakes decorated with flowers shaped from pink frosting.

Many of the women were eager for the opportunity to dance, even if it required the use of a cane. “You can see it in their faces: They just come alive again,” said Maximo.

She explained that — like a traditional quinceañera — the "Quinceañera de Oro" is fundamentally a reintroduction to the community: a chance for women to be embraced by society at a new stage of life. And that, she said, is something the women need more than ever.

Many feel invisible, relegated to caretaking roles. Others have been widowed or live far away from their family. Maximo indicated that the event can help combat some of that isolation, providing an occasion to reconnect with loved ones and friends.

“What we’re looking to accomplish is a reintegration of older women into their families, so they are not abandoned,” Maximo said. “It’s similar to the reintroduction that a traditional quineañera at 15 years old is meant to represent, but this period of life is more difficult.”

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