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Home is where the heart is: how sharing Colombian culture helped Karla Florez Albor start a new life in New York

Written by Tatiana Spiegel. 


Like many Colombian immigrants, Karla Florez Albor joins every year the Colombian Day Parade in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens. Immigrating to New York City in the early 2000s was never part of her plan. She was an accomplished dance teacher, movement researcher, and journalist in the city of Barranquilla, in Colombia’s northern Caribbean coastal region, when she met her husband, a Colombian working abroad in New York City. They fell in love, married, and had two daughters. After a few years of bliss with her new family, Karla was faced with having to leave her beloved country behind when her husband’s job asked that he relocate to New York City. Karla made the difficult decision to move her family to the United States, but she knew that she would continue her thriving career in dance education and research. Karla arrived with high hopes for her new American life, and promptly began researching how body movements were affected after 9-11.

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Karla’s passion for dance and Colombian culture has served her even in the most difficult of times. She is proof that as an immigrant in New York City, you can always find a way to get in touch with your roots, no matter how far away you are from home.



When a person writes about your work the way Tatiana Spiegel wrote about mine you have to be honored and thankful. I invite you to read this article that reflects what I'm passionate about and all the things I have to be grateful to God for. Thank you Tatiana Spiegel for your article and your kind words.

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Participando con Aangikcuerpo en la ONU

Participando con AangikCuerpo (cuerpo). 

Karla, Mala, Althea

AangikCuerpo (body)

Desde nuestra cotidianidad aportemos a la causa de erradicar la pobreza en el mundo. En el día internacional para la erradicación de la pobreza. En las Naciones Unidas en Nueva York la Cumbia y Colombia dicen presente. 

Con la obra de danza AangikCuerpo las artistas Althea Bazemore Afroamericana, Mala Desai de la India y Karla Flórez Albor de Colombia promueven el concepto de unidad y convivencia como una “Familia Humana” (Maya Angelou). AangikCuerpo (Body) Es una propuesta de movimiento experimental que combina tambores africanos, danza Oddissi y Cumbia colombiana, como elemento unificador.
Obra de danza creada, coreografiada e interpretada por: Althea Bazemore, Mala Desai, Karla Flórez Albor

Música: tambores africanos, poesía sánscrita de Natya Shastra (300 a. C.) cantada por Sangeetacharya Bankim Sethi, cumbia folclórica colombiana La Juliana por Joaquín Pérez y el Grupo Tradición y el poema "Familia humana" de Maya Angelou.

Descripción: mi cuerpo mi templo, mi cuerpo mi oración, mi cuerpo mi hogar

Inspiradas en el concepto de que todos somos parte de una “Familia Humana” hemos creado esta pieza a partir de movimientos de baile tradicionales y desde las capacidades de cada una en su momento de vida. La música es distinta una de la otra,  Nuestra danza asume la responsabilidad de transmitir un mensaje de unión y reconocimiento del valor del otro y del trabajo en comunidad con la esperanza de que inspire a otros a hacer lo mismo. Reconociéndole a la Cumbia el aporte a la unidad.

AangikCuerpo (body)*

Conceived, choreographed and Performed By: Althea Bazemore, Mala Desai, Karla Florez,

Music: African drums, Sanskrit poetry from Natya Shastra (300 B.C.) sung by Sangeetacharya Bankim Sethi, Cumbia Colombian Folkmusic La Juliana by Joaquín Pérez Grupo Tradición, and Maya Angelou’s poem “Human Family” recited by Althea.

Costume: Mala Desai, Karla Florez, Althea Bazemore

Description:  my body my temple, my body my prayer, my body my home

Inspiration drawn from “Human Family” by Maya Angelou (an excerpt), we have come together to create “AangikCuerpo” (body) assembled from traditional dance moves and from each ones capabilities.  Music is as distinct and complex as the lead performer, yet easily embraced by the remaining ensemble.  Our costume is layered in a Colombian skirt with Indian motifs as each performer wears a token reflecting her tradition. Our dance relates to the theme in that we have taken responsibility to deliver a positive and enlightening message through our movement with hopes that it inspires others to do the same.

Follow me: @KarlaFlorezsd 

Photos:  ATD Fourth World Movement

Performing at ONU