Clyde River (Aug 21/06) - When Canada's premier breakdancing crew, the Canadian Floor Masters, rolled into Clyde River for a hip hop workshop, no one was more ready than Jessica Jaypoody.

"Usually there's no excitement in this town," the twentysomething said. "I thought hip hop was exciting so I joined the workshop."

The Floor Masters are renowned for jaw-dropping dance moves, set against the backdrop of soul and funk-powered rhythm tracks. But in addition to teaching the finer points of breakdancing, the troupe also promotes the concepts of hope, respect for self and others, and the importance of dreams. It's a message everyone can benefit from, Jaypoody said.

"Everybody in this community should be positive and have self-respect so they can live a better life."

Jaypoody also teaches English and Inuktitut to kindergarten through Grade 7 at Clyde River's Quluag School. She wants to incorporate some of the Floor Masters' messages of hope and respect into her classroom work.

In Nunavut, where young Inuit have embraced the urban art form of hip hop and made it their own, the Canadian Floor Masters have already spawned one local chapter in Iqaluit. Organizers of the Clyde River workshop hope to do the same and Jaypoody said she's in.

"I'm going to try to go on hip-hopping because I really like it," she chuckled.