Since early 2019, seasonal dances have been held to create a gathering space that strengthens community ties for neighbors over the age of 60, who attend individually or with their friends from the neighborhood. In addition to the dances, on certain occasions social activities are organized, such as board games connected to participants’ experiences, projects, and personal interests, as well as activities related to the neighborhood, including the installation of a photo studio where they can be portrayed with family and friends. Dances provide an opportunity for seniors to meet, create new friendships, and enjoy moments of leisure. This aligns with Casa Gallina’s overall interest in offering alternatives to the conditions of isolation and emotional vulnerability in which many of them live.

An average of 60 people usually gather for the social gathering, where drinks and food are shared, and the space is adapted into a dance floor. The music comes from the house rockola, which contains a selection of songs chosen by neighbors and local businesses in the neighborhood, which have been put together by young people like musician Javier Celis, baker Christian Zepeda, or Sebastian Navarro and Alberto Olvera.

The menus for the dance are usually cooked by the Casa Gallina team, although for the closing dance of 2022, neighbor Norma López helped by preparing vegetarian tacos de canasta and punch. Similarly, in December 2023, the ally Angélica Palma prepared a dish with quelites de la milpa, called tortilla del tiempo verde- tlaxcalxopantlaualli in Nahuatl-. During that dance, seed cushions made by neighbors were also donated from a workshop led by neighbor Ere Lo. And at our 2025 summer dance, Fábrica de Huertos provided us with baskets with vegetables and a diverse harvest, to be able to give to the attendees at the end of the event.

This activity designed in modules to facilitate learning with digital devices, has provided the senior community with access to basic tools for computer use and internet browsing.

From the time participants expressed the daily need to make proper use of their cellphones, we conveyed basic knowledge of the management of this tool, such as: answer calls and Whatsapp messages, and use the Google and Youtube browser.

This activity designed in modules to facilitate learning with digital devices, has provided the senior community with access to basic tools for computer use and internet browsing.

Since the participants expressed the daily need to carry out procedures using devices such as mobile phones, after learning basic notions they addressed the issue of digital security. Subsequently, they explored social media interactions and basic artificial intelligence tools for managing everyday activities. In the second period of the year, the knowledge acquired was reviewed, while participants also began to explore the use of Microsoft Office applications for the various needs of the attending community members.

We invited group of residents from the senior community to share their experiences and narratives based on personal memories of living in the neighborhood. This workshop is part of a series of activities where older people can remember and share their memories about the territory, collectively and as a reconstruction of the stories of this place.

The streets and places of Santa María la Ribera being the meeting point of these stories, the residents ended the workshop with the creation of embroidered banners where we could observe the processes of change, resilience and permanence of the neighborhood and its residents.