Northern Soul: dance, camera, action – in pictures

Photographer Elaine Constantine's fascination with northern soul began in 1976, when she attended a Lancashire youth club to find her schoolmates busting moves she'd never seen before to music she'd never heard Photograph: Elaine Constantine

Constantine was hypnotised by what she saw. 'These were boys who to me had been quite ordinary – suddenly they were fine young things in a glorious world' Photograph: Elaine Constantine

With her film, currently in production, Constantine aims to convey the spinning, dripping, highly charged experience of abandoning yourself to soul music. 'It's hard to sum up in words alone. I knew a film would give anyone the experience first-hand' Photograph: Elaine Constantine

Dancers are put through their paces as they rehearse; not everyone will make the cut Photograph: Elaine Constantine

Some of the dancers are professionals, some are actors - and around 20% are already northern soul fans Photograph: Elaine Constantine

'Most kids who come to the classes had no knowledge of what northern soul is. They came to be extras,' says Constantine. 'Some are well hooked, and they ain't faking it' Photograph: Elaine Constantine

Dancers go wild to the euphoric sounds of Tami Lynn's I'm Gonna Run Away from You and Chubby Checker's Discotheque Photograph: Elaine Constantine

'Sometimes I go to the 100 Club and dos up north,' says Constantine, 'I'm on the dancefloor and I'll spot one of our kids dancing opposite me! Some are more into it than I am' Photograph: Elaine Constantine