Dreamers Channel 4: I watched the coming-of-age dance drama filmed in Leeds and I admired the heart and soul pouring out of the dancers

Warning: Spoilers ahead

I’ve always envied people who can dance.

Every time I’ve seen someone dance on stage or on screen, I don’t just notice the technicality of the art, but the passion that comes along with it.

When I read about the Channel 4 series Dreamers, I was instantly intrigued and after I watched it I wasn’t disappointed; I could even relate to it in some ways.

The show, which was filmed in Leeds, follows a group of diverse dance students as they balance their complicated home lives and highs and lows of growing up in today’s world with the intense journey of chasing after their dance dreams.

Their stories, which are inspired by real life experiences, are joyful and funny as well as raw and powerful and are brought to life through incredible dance choreography.

The heart and soul poured into the show was something to be admired; each character had their own complex story and I wanted to know more.

I’m no stranger to the jungle-like environment of the entertainment industry; two of my best friends who act and sing in theatres and on cruise ships spent years working their way up the ladder and I’ve seen their hard work come to fruition on stage.

They had multiple side jobs to support their dreams, they’ve experienced hardships and they are still chasing after every opportunity like the Dreamers in the series. I’m in awe of them every day.

In the six-part series, Puppy (portrayed by Princess Nelia Mubaiwa) and Koby (portrayed by Demarkus Marks) are two best friends trying to make it in the dance business. I just thought, it must be so hard to be put in a position where you are competing with your best friend in a competitive profession.

Throughout the series you learn more about each of their backstory; Puppy’s mum, Erica, is a passionate and determined dance teacher for Chapeltown Collective, a Leeds-based dance group, who made it to the finals of a big showcase in Manchester. It appears she has a problem with alcohol and Puppy often has to get rid of any bottles in the house.

Koby is a passionate dancer whose family don’t care about his dreams and looks to Erica for emotional and professional support. Erica is focussed on Puppy when she is picked to do a solo for the showcase alongside Koby, who feels pushed aside.

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The choreography is outstanding. I was incredibly moved by the emotion pouring out of the dancers each time they had their solo moment.

We learn about Liam’s (portrayed by Tyler Pickles) family life, how he regularly looks after his two little sisters whilst his unreliable mum, Siobhan, goes out partying with her on-and-off boyfriend. I found the tender moments between Puppy and Liam very endearing; they had more in common with each other than they initially thought and that brought them closer together.

Despite their difficult lives, the group always came together as a team and danced their hearts out.

I could feel the tension when they were in rehearsals; so much pressure to get the moves right. It doesn’t matter how talented you are at something or how much you want to achieve your dreams, the sting of rejection or disappointment will always hurt the same.

As I approached the end of the series, I learnt that Puppy wasn’t in this for herself; she was doing it to make her mum happy. Her realisation of this made her question why she was risking losing her best friend.

The idea of doing something to please your family or other people resonates with me deeply as this is what I did before I found my passion. I realised that this isn’t the way forward and the only way I would find success is if I did what I did for me.

In the end she decided to perform her solo at the showcase for herself. When Koby said ‘don’t f*** it up’ in the last episode, I was moved to tears. They made up.

The last dance at the end of the series was powerful to say the least. The art of dance can translate all emotions and feelings just like any language can.

I really enjoyed the series and I hope more will be made in the future because there’s so much more to explore with each of the dancers.