DANCERS from all over the country poured into Weymouth to take part in the town's fourth annual dance festival.

More than 350 different dances were performed by nearly 200 talented dancers from across the region and as far afield as London, in styles ranging from ballet to hip-hop.

The standard of the work on display at Weymouth College, where the festival was held, was so high that the adjudicator Tanya Allen, who is a highly respected examiner and international judge, awarded marks of 85 and above to an unprecedented number of dancers, some achieving the almost unheard of scores of 90 and 91 marks out of 100.

The theatre was full to capacity on each of the three days of the festival with every seat taken and enthusiastic audience members also standing in every available space for large sections of the event.

It is estimated that around 2,000 people enjoyed the talent on display.

The local dance academies that took part were Weymouth Dance Studio as well as Let's Dance, Quay Theatre Art and the Mercury Dance Academy from Weymouth, the Dorchester Dance and Ballet Club and Tanya Lonergan's Dance Studio on Portland.

Dancers from further afield represented the Julie Adams Stage School and Prompt Corner Academy of Dance, both from Bournemouth, Blackwell Dance Academy from Poole and Stanmore College from Middlesex.

The cup winners were: NOVICE BALLET CUP: Thomas Gerhardt (Weymouth Dance Studio) NOVICE MODERN CUP: Danielle Brunell (Weymouth Dance Studio) SHAW CONSTRUCTION CUP FOR NOVICE TAP: Rebecca Hunter (Weymouth Dance Studio) JUNIOR BALLET FESTIVAL CUP: Hattie Sheriff-Holford (Prompt Corner Dance Academy) JUNIOR MODERN FESTIVAL CUP: Skyela Dunstall-Stevens (Quay Theatre Arts) JUNIOR TAP FESTIVAL CUP: Megan Sers (Weymouth Dance Studio) THE HADFIELD GRAY MEMORIAL CUP FOR JUNIOR SONG & DANCE: Hannah Scott (Julie Adams Stage School) THE LUCY KING MEMORIAL TROPHY FOR JUNIOR NATIONAL: Courtney MacGregor-Smart (Weymouth Dance Studio) UNDER 7 FESTIVAL CUP: Courtney MacGregor-Smart (Weymouth Dance Studio) THE MARION SMITH AWARD FOR LYRICAL MODERN: Eilish Harmon-Beglan (Quay Theatre Arts) CHARACTER FESTIVAL CUP: Eilish Harmon-Beglan (Quay Theatre Arts) CONTEMPORARY FESTIVAL CUP: Seya Charles (Stanmore College) SENIOR BALLET FESTIVAL CUP: Isla Moir (Julie Adams Stage School) SENIOR MODERN FESTIVAL CUP: Rebecca Griffiths (Quay Theatre Arts) SENIOR TAP FESTIVAL CUP: Laura Tiltman (Weymouth Dance Studio) SONG & DANCE FESTIVAL CUP: Chloe Davis (Quay Theatre Arts) NATIONAL FESTIVAL CUP: Laura Tiltman (Weymouth Dance Studio) THE TANYA ALLEN TROPHY FOR CLASSICAL DUET: Eilish Harmon-Beglan and Calum Griffiths (Quay Theatre Arts) THE SCRIBE'S CUP FOR CABARET DUET: Eilish Harmon-Beglan & Calum Griffiths (Quay Theatre Arts) THE LAWLESS CUP FOR CLASSICAL TRIO/QUARTET: Tamara Collier, Leah Harris, Michaela Johnson, Laura Tiltman (Weymouth Dance Studio) THE LANNY MEAD THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT' CUP FOR CABARET TRIO/QUARTET: Eilish Harmon-Beglan, Rebecca Griffiths, Sally Walker (Quay Theatre Arts) THE TANYA ALLEN CUP FOR VOCAL PROMISE: Imogen Gray and Danielle Brunell (Weymouth Dance Studio) THE SUE LATHAM CUP FOR ENDEAVOUR: Skyela Dunstall-Stevens (Quay Theatre Arts) THE PRINCE REGENT HOTEL GROUP AWARD (MOST ENTERTAINING GROUP): Quay Theatre Arts and Stanmore College

e festival's spokeswoman, Lis Gray, said: "The event was notable for the spirit of camaraderie and sportsmanship amongst the dancers from all the schools involved and across all age groups. The amazing array of high marks showed that the dancers in our region are amongst the very best anywhere in the country."

The fifth Weymouth Dance Festival will take place over the May Day Bank Holiday in 2009.