Northern Soul world dance champ 'just went with the music'

Sally Molloy said Northern Soul forced her to think again about what she had already learnt about dancing

A woman from Staffordshire has been crowned World Northern Soul Dance Champion 2022 and said she just let herself "get lost in the music".

Sally Molloy said she was introduced to it at a young age by her mother, who ran the official Elvis Presley fan club of Great Britain.

The 27-year-old said she "just got hooked" and had been practising for about four years.

She said she was "still in shock" after winning in finals at Blackpool Tower.

Ms Molloy, who lives in Tean, said after getting her love of music from her mother, she delved into Northern Soul for herself and "listened to some records and watched some footage".

Ms Molloy said Northern Soul was "not like any other sort of dance"

She said she had studied dancing and musical theatre, but Northern Soul was "not like any other sort of dance" and "goes against everything you've learnt as a dancer".

Stamina was very important, she said, as was an ability to improvise.

She was not told in advance which songs she would perform to in the finals and said "in the moment you've just got to listen to the music".

Ms Molloy added her mother, who died a few years ago, would have been "really proud".