The Green Inchworm / Karla Florez

Karla Florez
Colombia / United States
The Green Inchworm, 2024
Dance performance, music, storytelling | Duration: ~60 minutes

Florez’s performance The Green Inchworm is a dynamic fusion of traditional Afro-Colombian dance, live Tambora rhythms, and bilingual storytelling drawn from her original Spanish-English children’s book of the same name. Rooted in the cultural traditions of the Colombian Caribbean, the piece honors intergenerational knowledge, celebrates diasporic identity, and raises environmental awareness through the metaphor of the inchworm—a small but essential part of our ecosystems, now under threat.
 
Presented as both an artistic and educational experience, the performance invites audiences to reflect on migration, ecological responsibility, and the power of cultural memory to inspire collective action. The inclusion of composting and soil regeneration themes connects the work to broader climate justice efforts, especially within immigrant and frontline communities.
 
Karla Florez is a Colombian multidisciplinary artist, educator, and cultural organizer based in New York City. Her work blends performance, literature, and environmental education to build intergenerational connections and uplift Afro-Caribbean heritage.