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E The Dancing England Rapper Tournament (DERT) 〔(). The Nut On the Web. Retrieved on 2009-05-29.〕 is a continuation of the most significant rapper sword dance competitions that were held in Newcastle upon Tyne, 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. 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 practice well and develop their skills, giving their performance a damn good polish and their audiences a real rapper treat. ==Historical background== 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 City Hall from just after the Great War until the early fifties. 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. So prestigious was the Rapper, that judges were imported from the newly formed, London-based, English Folk Dance Society, founded and directed by the great folk song and dance collector, Cecil Sharp. 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. The dances were honed to sharpness, the kit was impressive, the music was described as 'first class' and the pride of the Durham and Northumberland Miner was there to be seen. The pace quickened as first the Juniors, then a few women's and girls' teams and then finally the men competed for the Cowen Trophy, medals and glory. In the early days, papers such as the Evening Chronicle and the Northern Echo 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 of course the best figures and movements were stolen or borrowed. Rivalry was high with reported fights backstage and around town. Stories are whispered of musician and dancer nobbling before and after the competition. The modern event is not quite so cutthroat, but cameras, recorders and videos and a few free pints of beer have been part of a sword team's armoury for a while. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Dancing England Rapper Tournament」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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