A LOCAL youth dance group has taken part in a pop video, produced by the music legend Brian May, that pays tribute to all the people who have died during the coronavirus pandemic.

Resolution Dance, which has a branch in Woking and has young dancers from across the area, are in the video for Dancing in the Rain, by Kings Daughters. The group’s lead singer, Talia Dean, lives in Cobham.

The video, which is set at Silent Pool near Guildford, includes images of people from around the world who have died in the past seven months, from COVID-19 and other reasons.

Dancing in the Rain was partly inspired by the death of Talia’s best friend. She was unable to attend his funeral and the lyrics are a farewell from her to him.

The song includes the words: “Can’t live without you; But I know I’ve got to; It’s like a tornado has torn right through me; There was no goodbye; The day you left my life; But I feel you right beside me.”

Talia appears in the video as a grief-stricken Ophelia from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Her bandmates, Isabel Lysell, who plays guitar, and Vicky O’Neon, the drummer, appear as Shakespearean maidens who try to save Ophelia from drowning.

The message of hope is contained in the lyrics: “Everyday I look up to the sky; You’re an angel, you’re my guide; Gonna make it with you by my side; Never give up, no I never give up.”

Kings Daughters invited anyone around the world who has suffered a bereavement over the past seven months to send a photograph of the lost loved one. These, including a photograph of Talia’s best friend, appear in the music video in a moving sequence.

Heather Close, who started Resolution Dance five years ago, said her group have been backing dancers for Talia since she was a finalist on The X Factor in 2017.

“We made contact and just really clicked,” Heather said.

Meanwhile Talia had met May who began helping her band as a producer and backing musician. The two are from the same area of West London and are now fellow Surrey residents.

The Queen guitarist produced Kings Daughters’ previous single Get Up earlier this year. The song, which reached No 13 in the charts, is also COVID-related, giving an upbeat message of hope and resilience. A percentage of the proceeds goes to the mental health charity Mind.

May and his wife, the actress Anita Dobson, who live in Windlesham, are in the Get Up video, which includes snippets of people dancing alone or in groups. Resolution Dance appears several times and one of the other dancers in a sequence of his own is the comedian and actor Matt Lucas, who is a presenter on the new series of The Great British Bake Off.

Heather said she started Resolution Dance because she has been a dancer since she was very young and wanted her own company that she could run as she wanted.

“We pride ourselves in giving girls aged 12 to 18 opportunities they don’t usually get, such as appearing in music videos,” she said.

“It’s not just about learning, but also having experiences. A lot of the time dancing is about exams and competitions, but we pride ourselves on the performance side.”

The group continued to operate through lockdown with regular Zoom classes and has now been able to return to some of its venues.

Dancers are divided into age groups that run from five to 18 years old.

Heather said: “It’s been fantastic working with Talia over the past few years and now in turn working with Kings Daughters.

“We’ve gained so many memories and experiences through our work with them and that have been truly valuable for the girls at Resolution.”