Sporting a black t-shirt proudly proclaiming "Live 2 Break," a group of grinning boys form a slightly jagged circle inside a dusty yard on the outskirts of Kigali, Rwanda's capital.

Inside the circle a bandana-wearing dance instructor spins from his back onto his chest flaring his legs high in the air in a V-shape. The boys respond to his virtuoso dance moves with claps and cheers before taking to the floor themselves, twisting and turning as they try to perfect their breakdance moves.

They are part of an uplifting dance project at Les Enfants De Dieu, a residential care center working to transform the lives of former street children in Rwanda.

The center accommodates 126 boys aged six to 18 who, apart from their tough upbringing, share a deep passion for an art form that also originated in the streets: Hip-hop.

"Once their basic needs are fulfilled, they need to nourish their spirit, their self-esteem and their pride in themselves," says Nicola Triscott, co-founder of Catalyst Rwanda, a UK-based group that organizes art programs for vulnerable youth.

"I think hip-hop really helps to do that, because it's such a young person's art form -- it came off the streets and it's about one-on-one teaching. There's this great spirit of sharing in hip hop," she adds.