How She Move generated one of the worst ratings I have ever encountered on the Internet Movie Database, scoring 1.7 out of 10.

People have a hate-on for this Canadian-made film.

That is grossly unfair.

Ian Iqbal Rashid's modest, yet effective dance drama actually has a lot to offer. I found it more interesting than the American counterpart, Stomp the Yard, although the two share ground and pound it with some of the same rhythms.

In fact, this is sub-genre that has become a cliche: Dance your way into romance or out of the ghetto or into being a better person or all of the above.

The trick is to add new layers to the familiar plot. Annmarie Morais' nimble script for How She Move does just that by exploring the unique nature of Afro-Caribbean culture in Canada. The key protagonist is an empowered Toronto youth (played with subtle power by Rutina Wesley).

Although the movie tries too hard to make American references -- the monster dance competition is in Detroit, and not in a Canadian city -- Rashid shot Toronto as itself. He filmed the infamous Jane-Finch corridor as itself, the ugly with the beautiful.

In the story, character challenges are cultural and economic, not primarily racial. The story smacks of reality in a Canadian context.

The music and dance is dynamic. Hi Hat's choreography blends step, hip hop, break and locking with artistry.

The widescreen-only DVD, out last week, boasts good, blunt-spoken extras, including insights into how the dancers and the actors learned to cooperate, teach one another and emerge as a cohesive ensemble.