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States, China, Denmark, Canada and Norway. Between 25 and 30 teams compete for prizes, accolades and bragging rights for the following year. Entries are divided into three divisions: Premier, Championship and Open, with potential promotions and demotions occurring depending on how the teams dance. Musicians compete for the Angela Lee Trophy. The Tommy and Betty characters employed by most of the sword dance teams are also subject to the judges' scrutiny.
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he was the UK's only manufacturer of rapper swords; without him, rapper sword dancing as a traditional dance form would have been in very serious danger of dying out. Until recently, there were two rapper and longsword manufacturers keeping the tradition alive, Frank Lee in
Brampton, Cumbria, and Jimmie Killner in Hampshire, who has sadly now passed away.
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environment where accuracy and teamwork become very important. There is a
Traditional competition, where teams must perform a traditional dance as notated in three defined publications. Veteran dancers are encouraged to compete for the Adrienne Moss Trophy, a carved wooden sculpture of walking sticks.
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The competition travels around the country and is organised by a different rapper team every year with support provided by previous DERT organisers, the wider rapper community and the Sword Dance Union. In most years it is an international competition, with past entries from teams from the UK, United
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The pit villages where the dance was "invented" were known for their tight knit communities and fierce independence, and they sent their best teams along. The City Hall was packed and the press were ready to lionise the winners. First the
Juniors, then a few women's and girls' teams and then finally
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The North East Rapper
Championship was devised by folklorist Peter Kennedy when he worked for the EFDSS in Newcastle. It was meant to revive the flagging competitions of the dying Newcastle Tournament. It had its first event in Hexham in 1949, where Royal Earsdon were the winners. Over the next few
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DERT finishes with a showcase event where all teams dance on stage in front of each other, and the various prizes and awards are given. The overall winner of DERT receives the Steve Marris Trophy, which recognises the massive contribution made by Marris to the rapper sword community. For many years
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The most recent DERT competitions took place in Whitby in 2024, Rochdale in 2023, and Derby in 2022. The 2021 event was to have been in
Edinburgh, hosted by Mons Meg, but was cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The 2020 event in Lincoln (Whip the Cat) was cancelled for the same reason.
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The competition takes place in pubs in the host city, with teams dancing in front of two judges. The judges are tasked with grading the teams on their sword handling skills, teamwork, stepping and creation of 'buzz factor'. There is also a
Spotlight dance in front of four judges in a quieter
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This competition has also had a revival, and in 2011, the
Sallyport Sword Dancers won a new Trophy in Washington, Co. Durham. Other winners have been High Spen, Newcastle Kingsmen and Star and Shadow. Venues have been Hexham, and the Sage and St Mary's in Gateshead. In January 2018, the NE
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had banner headlines of the results, giving fame and pride to the village of the trophy winners. Whichever team won was copied. Stepping patterns, new tunes, and figures and movements were stolen or borrowed. Rivalry was high with reported fights backstage and around town.
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Championship with an extra
Traditional class was held in the Cumberland Arms, Byker, in Newcastle. In 2019 it took place in Earsdon village and 2020 at The Old Coal Yard brewery in Byker. It did not take place in 2021, 2022, 2023 or 2024.
105:, England, the centre of the coalfields where the dance originated. The modern annual weekend event, held at different venues in the UK, brings together rapper teams and sword dancers from around the country and occasionally abroad.
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The future of DERT and rapper sword dancing is also catered for, with a competition called DERTy. This section is divided into Youth and Junior sections with dancers practising and then performing in front of a judging panel.
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The event consisted of many musical and performance classes held over most of a week, but it was the
Saturday Rapper competition that drew the most crowds. Judges were imported from the newly formed, London-based,
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While the element of competition is important, the social aspects are just as fierce. The essential idea behind the tournament was then and is now that teams have to practise well and develop their skills.
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and other prestigious venues around the city. This event was known later as the North of
England Musical Tournament which began in 1919. One of its founders was the Newcastle composer and violinist
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between 1979 and 1987. A rapper competition known as the Dancing England Rapper Tournament (DERT) took place on the afternoon prior to the evening performance.
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The Newcastle Tournament of Music and Art, which included a Traditional Short Sword or Rapper competition for seniors and juniors, was held annually in the
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years it was held in various places in the North East. Royal Earsdon were invariably the winners until the competition ceased in 1956.
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Following the demise of Dancing England, the rapper sword competition continued under the name "DERT".
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The modern DERT competition has its origins in an event which took place during the
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Details of the locations and dates of recent DERT competitions are given below.
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event of traditional English dancing which was held in the Assembly Rooms in
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the men competed for the Cowen Trophy, medals and glory.
133:, founded and directed by folk song and dance collector
751:. The Nut On the Web. Retrieved on 2009-05-29.
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97:) is a continuation of the most significant
77:Learn how and when to remove this message
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40:This article includes a list of general
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774:"Sword dancers poised to defend title"
144:In the early days, papers such as the
101:dance competitions that were held in
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46:it lacks sufficient corresponding
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91:Dancing England Rapper Tournament
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310:Cancelled due to Coronavirus
293:Cancelled due to Coronavirus
157:The modern DERT competition
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131:English Folk Dance Society
192:Other rapper competitions
810:Annual events in England
714:Sallyport Sword Dancers
639:Sallyport Sword Dancers
623:Sallyport Sword Dancers
543:Sallyport Sword Dancers
463:Sallyport Sword Dancers
444:30 March - 1 April 2012
763:, 10 October 1936, p 12
61:more precise citations.
668:20 - 22 February 1998
724:Newcastle upon Tyne
709:Leytonstone, London
649:Newcastle upon Tyne
655:Newcastle Kingsmen
604:12 – 16 April 2002
572:26 – 28 March 2004
540:17 – 19 March 2006
527:Newcastle Kingsmen
524:10 – 11 March 2007
511:Newcastle Kingsmen
495:Newcastle Kingsmen
492:13 – 15 March 2009
479:Newcastle Kingsmen
447:Newcastle Kingsmen
398:Newcastle Kingsmen
395:10 - 12 April 2015
381:Newcastle Kingsmen
378:11 - 13 March 2016
364:Newcastle Kingsmen
344:23 - 25 March 2018
330:Newcastle Kingsmen
259:10 - 12 March 2023
242:12 - 14 April 2024
103:Newcastle upon Tyne
476:9 – 11 April 2010
431:Star & Shadow
428:8 - 10 March 2013
415:Star & Shadow
761:Newcastle Journal
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665:Ryton, Gateshead
652:5 – 7 March 1999
636:4 – 6 March 2000
620:2 – 4 March 2001
588:4 – 6 April 2003
556:4 – 6 March 2005
508:7 - 9 March 2008
460:4 – 6 March 2011
412:7 - 9 March 2014
361:7 - 9 April 2017
327:5 - 7 April 2019
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228:Overall winner
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805:Rapper sword
782:. Retrieved
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607:Black Swan
591:Black Swan
575:Black Swan
521:Nottingham
384:Oakenyouth
375:Manchester
245:Black Swan
135:Cecil Sharp
59:introducing
799:Categories
738:References
721:DERT 1994
706:DERT 1995
691:DERT 1996
678:DERT 1997
662:DERT 1998
646:DERT 1999
633:Greenwich
630:DERT 2000
614:DERT 2001
601:Sheffield
598:DERT 2002
582:DERT 2003
566:DERT 2004
550:DERT 2005
534:DERT 2006
518:DERT 2007
505:Liverpool
502:DERT 2008
489:Newcastle
486:DERT 2009
470:DERT 2010
454:DERT 2011
438:DERT 2012
422:DERT 2013
406:DERT 2014
389:DERT 2015
372:DERT 2016
355:DERT 2017
341:Sheffield
338:DERT 2018
324:Newcastle
321:DERT 2019
304:DERT 2020
290:Edinburgh
287:DERT 2021
270:DERT 2022
253:DERT 2023
236:DERT 2024
113:Background
67:March 2024
42:references
256:Rochdale
222:Location
119:City Hall
784:25 April
778:BBC News
585:Glasgow
553:Preston
392:Bristol
307:Lincoln
148:and the
617:Masham
457:Oxford
441:London
358:Kendal
239:Whitby
205:Winners
55:improve
473:Derby
409:Leeds
401:NYFTE
367:NYFTE
350:NYFTE
273:Derby
265:NYFTE
248:NYFTE
225:Dates
219:Event
44:, but
569:Bath
537:York
167:Derby
786:2020
316:N/A
313:N/A
299:N/A
296:N/A
95:DERT
89:The
18:DERT
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