A champion step dancer has secured her fifth win at the Dartmoor Folk Festival recently.

Alice Knight, 23 and from Bristol, was declared champion adult step dancer, having won the title of champion four times in previous years at the annual festival held at South Zeal.

Performers Jill and Bernard Blackwell, right, officially opened the Dartmoor Folk Festival, pictured with, from left, Mark Bazeley, Shirley Bazeley and Jason Rice. AQ 1883
Performers Jill and Bernard Blackwell, right, officially opened the Dartmoor Folk Festival, pictured with, from left, Mark Bazeley, Shirley Bazeley and Jason Rice. Picture: Alan Quick. (Alan Quick, Crediton Courier)

Alice won the highly contested Adult Dartmoor Step Dance final after beating ten others in the heats.

Hundreds of people watched the nail-biting final held at South Zeal over the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, August 8 and 9.

Cogs and Wheels from South Zeal performed in the main ring. AQ 1897
Cogs and Wheels from South Zeal performed in the main ring. (Alan Quick, Crediton Courier)
Lily Lakeman, Devon singer-songwriter, broke onto the folk music scene this year, pictured on the Dartmoor Folk Festival main stage. AQ 1961
Lily Lakeman, Devon singer-songwriter, broke onto the folk music scene this year. She’s pictured on the Dartmoor Folk Festival main stage. (Alan Quick, Crediton Courier)

Alice previously won the title in 2024, 2022 and 2019 and the Junior title in 2019.

She has been attending the festival ‘since she was born’.

Dartmoor Broom Dance winner was Stanley Brinkworth (11). AQ 8094
Dartmoor Broom Dance winner was Stanley Brinkworth, 11 (Alan Quick, Crediton Courier)

The Junior Dartmoor Step Dance winner was George Twitchin, 16, of Farnham, Surrey, who said he had attended the festival "all my life”.

Dartmoor Step Dancing is an unusual custom only found in this area which involves dancing on a 15-inch square board on top of an old hay wagon.

Junior Dartmoor Step Dance winner was George Twitchin (16), pictured with the President and runners-up. AQ 8122
The Junior Dartmoor Step Dance winner was George Twitchin, 16, pictured with the festival president and runners-up (Alan Quick/Iliffe Media)

Dartmoor Step Dancing on the wagon while the judges watched. AQ 1940
Dartmoor Step Dancing on the wagon while the judges watched (Alan Quick/Iliffe Media)

The Dartmoor Broom Dance winner was Stanley Brinkworth, aged 11, from London. He came third in the competition last year.

The festival was opened by Jill and Bernard Blackwell, performers who first attended the festival in 1981.

The weekend included lively ceilidhs, workshops, dance displays, children's activities, craft stalls, music sessions and free daytime entertainment.

Tinners Morris from South Zeal during one of their performances. AQ 2008
Tinners Morris from South Zeal during one of their performances (Alan Quick/Iliffe Media)

The Phil Beer Trio performing for a concert. AQ 7918
The Phil Beer Trio performing for a concert (Alan Quick/Iliffe Media)

There was an outstanding line-up of guest performers alongside local musicians, dancers and storytellers.

There were standing ovations and dancing in the aisles at the finale concert at South Zeal’s Victory Hall on Sunday, August 9.

Afterwards, festival secretary Jane White said: “Well that’s the end of another brilliant Dartmoor Folk Festival. It goes far too quickly. Next year will be our 50th year. I wonder what Bob Cann, my grandad, the founder of the festival, would think of it today.

Competitors in the Dartmoor Broom Dance competition. AQ 1905
Competitors in the Dartmoor Broom Dance competition (Alan Quick/Iliffe Media)
Some of the members of Otter Morris before they danced in the main arena. AQ 2005
Some of the members of Otter Morris before they danced in the main arena. AQ 2005 (Alan Quick, Crediton Courier)

Jamie Wheeler played the music for the last time for Bampton Morris, after 48 years, at the Dartmoor Folk Festival. AQ 1993
Jamie Wheeler played the music for the last time for Bampton Morris, after 48 years, at the Dartmoor Folk Festival. Picture: Alan Quick. (Alan Quick/Iliffe Media)

Judges watching the Dartmoor Step Dance competitors. AQ 1921
Judges watching the Dartmoor Step Dance competitors. Picture: Alan Quick. (Alan Quick, Crediton Courier)

“Gramps was only around for the first 13 festivals before he passed away in 1990.

A Cogs and Wheels Morris Dancer in action. AQ 1889
A Cogs and Wheels morris dancer in action. Picture: Alan Quick. (Alan Quick, Crediton Courier)
Rocking Horse Money on the wagon at the Dartmoor Folk Festival. AQ 2021
Rocking Horse Money on the wagon at the Dartmoor Folk Festival. AQ 2021 (Alan Quick, Crediton Courier)

“His legacy lives on in preserving the song, music and dance of his dear ol’ Dartmoor. I think about him and Nan every day.

During one of the ceilidhs. AQ 7880
During one of the ceilidhs. AQ 7880 (Alan Quick, Crediton Courier)
Otter Morris get ready to dance. AQ 8355
Otter Morris get ready to dance. AQ 8355 (Alan Quick, Crediton Courier)
Arthur Coates and Kerran Cotterell went down a storm at the festival. AQ 8437
Arthur Coates and Kerran Cotterell went down a storm at the festival. AQ 8437 (Alan Quick, Crediton Courier)

“They were certainly looking down on us this year. Here’s to next year’s festival on August 6, 7 and 8.”