A hip-hop themed health program is working to help motivate students to lead a more active lifestyle.

Twenty students, in grades 6-8, participated in the final performance of the Hip-hop Youth Physical Education program also known as 'HYPE' at St. Simon Stock on Tuesday.

The program marked the end of a yearlong study by Dr. Olajide Williams, founder of Hip Hop and Public Health and an associate professor of neurology at Columbia who is researching the health benefits of break dancing.

During the study, students wore heart rate trackers while break dancing to track their health benefits.

Williams says he will use the data to publish a peer-reviewed paper with his findings.

State Sen. Gustavo Rivera and the legendary Doug E Fresh also attended the event.