Woman whose waltz with policeman went viral shares passion for dance
A woman whose dance with a policeman in a shopping centre went viral has spoken of her love of dancing with her late husband.
Widow Jo Horspool, from Albrighton, became an internet sensation after being filmed waltzing with PCSO Steve Hopley in Wolverhampton’s Mander Centre.
The clip, posted by promotions worker Chloe Blower last week, has been viewed tens of thousands of times on Facebook.
WATCH the viral clip here:
Dance has always been one of Jo’s favourite past-times.
She said: “I’m a widow and I met my beloved husband, Bernard, when I was 16, dancing. I got engaged at 17, married at 18, and had our only child at 19. We always danced, and I miss my beloved husband every day.”
PCSO Hopley, aged 58, from Cannock, is now affectionately known as ‘twinkle-toes’ by his colleagues at Wolverhampton Police.
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Jo, who used to go to dancing every week at the City’s Civic Hall, was surprised PCSO Hopley accepted her request to dance.
She said: “I used to go dance at the Civic but it closed last year when they did the refurbishment and it hasn’t started up again.
“I heard they were doing something down the Mander Centre so I thought I would go.
“They had someone playing the keyboard but, as it turned out, there was nobody dancing.
“You can do line dancing on your own but you need a partner for ballroom or anything like that. I saw these two policeman standing there and I said ‘do either of you dance’. The one then said ‘I can’t dance, but he’s got a few steps’.
“I didn’t think he would have a dance as he was on duty.
“We had a dance and I didn’t realise there was people watching on the balcony until they all clapped.”
WATCH: Jo talks about her love of dance
She added: “My friend said she had seen me on Facebook. I don’t have a computer myself so I wasn’t aware.”
The pair were spotted by promotions worker Chloe Blower, who was walking through the centre.
The 19-year-old from Wolverhampton said: “It was so great to see people coming together like that especially with everything that has gone on recently.”
PCSO Hopley, 58, from Cannock, said:”It is just something I do for a living when I put the uniform on. I have a role to play in with the community as well.”
