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.
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.
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.
In most years it is an international competition, with past entries from teams from the UK, United States, China, Denmark, Canada and Norway.
Entries are divided into three divisions: Premier, Championship and Open, with potential promotions and demotions occurring depending on how the teams dance.
The judges are tasked with grading the teams on their sword handling skills, teamwork, stepping and creation of 'buzz factor'.
Veteran dancers are encouraged to compete for the Adrienne Moss Trophy, a carved wooden sculpture of walking sticks.
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.
The North East Rapper Championship was devised by folklorist Peter Kennedy when he worked for the EFDSS in Newcastle.
The Dancing America Rapper Tournament (DART) is an American offshoot of DERT, happening annually on the East Coast of the United States since 2010.