Open to ANYONE
**not just Linn County residents**
**Sprouts ages 2 through 12 years**
Prizes: 1st place $25, 2nd place $15, 3rd place $10
**Seniors ages 13 through 21 years**
Prizes: 1st place $25, 2nd place $15, 3rd place $10
Act Categories:
Vocalists: classical, country, or contemporary areas.
Dancers: tap, jazz, ballet, Pointe, acrobatic.
Gymnastic areas and pianists: classical or contemporary categoriess
Instruments
Click here to download application.
Application Deadline has been extended.
Please call 558-9676 for details. Return application via:
Mail: Attn: Angie Kisling, The Linn County Fair, 291 Wroble Drive Marion, Ia 52302
Fax: Attn: Sue Abel, 366-7682
BILL RILEY’S IOWA STATE FAIR TALENT SEARCH
2007
RULES FOR CONTESTANTS
1. Show is open to residents of the state of Iowa only. Acts must appear in a locally sponsored show somewhere in the state of Iowa and WIN to be eligible to compete at the Iowa State Fair. Judges decisions are final.
2. Sprouts: 2 through 12 years
Seniors: 13 through 21 years
A person’s age for the Iowa State Fair competition is determined at the time they win a local show. A 12 year old (or 21 year old) could turn 13 (or 22) by State Fair and still be eligible in the sprout (or senior) division, as they met age requirements at the time of qualification.
3. When one member of an act is 12 or under, that act must appear in the sprout category. All 13 or 14 year olds may appear with younger persons in an act, but no one age 15 or older will appear in the sprout category and no one 12 or under will appear in the Sr. division.
4. Each act will run no more than three minutes. Acts running longer than three minutes may be disqualified. Set up time is not included, but is limited to one minute.
5. No more than five persons are allowed in an act. Piano accompanist is NOT included in an act and may be any age. No more than three accompanists permitted per act. Drums, amps, etc. are discouraged due to the one-minute set-up time. No combos, rock bands or similar musical group permitted.
6. Groups must form a straight line on stage for introductions. Acts may not dance onto or off the stage. After introductions, you may take any position you wish to begin your performance.
7. Vocalists may not sing with a prerecorded tape or any type of prerecorded electronic musical accompaniment. This includes prerecorded accompaniment within an instrument. (For example, keyboards with added rhythms or orchestration.) Pantomime, lip sync, and karaoke are also not allowed with a prerecorded accompaniment of any kind. Compact disks or cassette tapes may be used as accompaniment for dance acts, baton, etc. Pure “mime” is accepted.
8. Contestants may only appear once in any given show. They may not perform “solo” and then return in the same show in a duet or trio. Contestants are allowed to perform in different acts in different shows, but they may only qualify for the State Fair Show with one act.
9. Professionals are NOT permitted to compete. This includes Union musicians and anyone whose principle source of income is from their talent. Compensation for performing at weddings, etc. does not constitute principle source of income.
10. Competition at the State Fair:
· Preliminary rounds: First seven days
· Semi finals: Days 8, 9, and 10
· Championship show: Day 11
· There will be 5 acts advancing to the semi final round from each age group during the preliminaries. (over)
· Three senior division acts advance to the championship show from each semi final round
· Two sprout acts will be crowned champions every semi-final day. They will perform the final Sunday, but will no longer be competing
11. Semi-Finalists: Semi finalists from last year’s Iowa State Fair Talent Search are automatically qualified for the next State fair competition. You do not have to re-qualify for next year’s show by winning a local level show, but are encouraged to compete at local shows. If you win a local level show, you are entitled to the prize money, but you must inform the Master of Ceremonies that you have already qualified for the State Fair. That way the second place winner can advance to the State Fair competition. Remember you are entitled to the 1st place prize money.
12. Birthdays and Semi-Finalists: If a sprout act makes the semi finals at the age of 12, they pre-qualify for the next year. They will perform in the sprout division as they were 12 when they qualified. If they make it into the semi finals the next year as a 13 year old sprout act, they pre-qualify for the following year, but will compete in the senior division.
13. Senior Finalists: There will be 9 finalists competing in the champion ship show, which is the last Sunday of the State Fair. All finalists must sit out the next year from State Fair competition. They also must re-qualify when returning after the one-year absence, and be 21 years old or less.
Sprout Champions: There will be 6 sprout acts performing in the championship show. They are already champions and are no longer competing. Sprout champions must sit out one year from State Fair competition, but will need to re-qualify when returning after the one-year absence.
Senior Champions: The champion of the senior division is no longer allowed to compete at the State Fair Talent Show
“The only exception to the one-year absence will be for sprout champions who were 12 year old when they won. They do not have to sit out a year and are automatically qualified for the next State Fair. They will however be competing in the senior division. It is highly recommended that they compete at the local level as a senior to get a feel for the older division
Seniors and Sprouts must qualify within the age requirement. For example, if you are 21 and don’t qualify before you are 22 you are ineligible, or if you are a sprout and don’t qualify before you are 13 you will compete in the Sr. division.
14. You will need name, complete address, birth date, age, social security number, phone number (include area code), and type of talent. Multiple acts need a member to act as a contact person with all information going through them. Additional members of the act need only birth date, age, and town.