The Worm, sometimes referred to as the dolphin or the caterpillar is a dance motion often associated with breakdancing and "funk" subculture in which a subject lies prone position and forms a rippling motion through their body, creating a wave reminiscent of a worm crawling. This can be done either forward or backwards, by shifting weight from the upper body to the lower body (backwards) or vice versa for forwards. The motion begins by pushing off from the ground with one's hands to start a ripple.
The worm was performed at some punk rock shows in the 1970s and was popularized widely during the 1980s "funk" period, and continues to be associated with breakdancing.
The move has been used and popularized by WWE wrestler "Scotty 2 Hotty" as his finisher maneuver.
Although the inventor of the worm is not known for certain, the earliest recorded video of the dance being performed was in 1980 during a grade school gym class in Cedarburg, WI. The move become popular in the Cedarburg school system and created an interest in the emerging dance style known today as breakdancing. By 1985 the community would adopt the title of "The Breakdancing Capital of the Midwest." Today a monument to the communities contribution to breakdancing can be visited in Herman A Zuernert Park, which was known to host "break-offs" throughout the 1980s.