2016 Rules for the NEA District Fair Youth Talent Contest

Wednesday, September 21st at  7pm.

Northeast Arkansas Exposition and Conference Center

Hwy 49 North between Jonesboro and Brookland

1. The purpose of the Northeast Arkansas District Fair Youth Talent Contest is to discover and encourage talent in the youth of Arkansas. It is designed primarily for amateur talent, but any act which qualifies otherwise is eligible even if the act received pay at some time EXCEPT where the person(s) are actually engaged in the entertainment business or paid instructors of the Arts.

2. Contestants must be at least 10 years of age and not more than 21 years of age by the opening day of the Arkansas State Fair ( October 14th, 2016) . Any contestant appearing younger or older than the age limits specified should be prepared to furnish proof of age to the State Contest Director.

3. Contestants must be legal residents of the state of Arkansas. Contestants must not have ever been convicted of any crime or have any criminal charges pending.

4. The 2015 Grand Champion Winner of the Arkansas State Fair Youth Talent Contest is not eligible to compete in the 2016 Youth Talent Contest, but will perform at the Finals on Saturday Night.

5. No contestant will be allowed to compete in more than two categories.

6. Contestants must legally reside in one of the following counties to participate in the NEA District Fair Youth Talent Contest. Clay, Cleburne, Craighead, Fulton, Greene, Independence, Izard, Lawrence, Mississippi, Poinsett, Randolph, Sharp, St. Francis, Stone, Van Buren or White County.

7. In the event a contestant legally resides in one county but is attending school in a different county in Arkansas, the contestant may compete at the county level in one and only one of these two counties.

8. All acts must be performed on the stage.

9. Any inappropriate lyrics of a song in the vocal and variety categories or inappropriate moves in the dance and variety categories will result in immediate disqualification. The contest director has the right to interrupt a performance if it is not deemed suitable for the Youth Talent Competition.

10. No decorative or background props of any kind will be allowed. A prop must be used as a functional part of the contestants act. Questionable props must be discussed and approved by the State Contest Director before arrival.

LENGTH OF PERFORMANCE

Any act must not exceed the 3 minute time limit (including recorded introduction). CD accompaniment is also subject to the same 3 minute time  limit. All acts are limited to a 1-minute time limit in setting up equipment. NO EXCEPTIONS

COMPETITION CATEGORIES

There are six (6) categories in the NEA District Fair Youth Talent Contest. Competing acts must qualify by one of the following category descriptions:

1. VOCAL SOLO shall consist only of a vocal performance by one vocalist. No other talent may be performed in conjunction with the vocal solo. CD’s used for accompaniment will be allowed to provide limited vocal background.

2. VOCAL GROUP shall consist of two or no more than fifteen vocalists. No other talent may be performed. CD’s used for accompaniment will be allowed to provide limited vocal background

3. INSTRUMENTAL SOLO shall consist of an instrumental performance without vocal utterance by one performer. Taped accompaniment may be used. Contestants are encouraged to memorize their piece rather than use sheet music on stage.

4. DANCE SOLO shall consist of one dancer. No other talent may be displayed in conjunction with the dance performance. All types of dancing will be judged in this category – tap, jazz, ballet, folk, ethnic, fad, etc. Gymnastics, tumbling, acrobatics, or any other form of gymnastics is not included in this category. However a dance routine can include a maximum of two gymnastic or acrobatic stunts.

5. DANCE GROUP shall consist of two or no more than fifteen dancers. No other talent may be displayed in conjunction with the dance performance. The same rules listed under Dance Solo apply.

6. VARIETY shall consist of a performance of one or no more than fifteen people. This category is intended to provide a proper showcase for those acts in which multiple talents are displayed. Acts that fit the description of any other category will not be allowed to compete in this category. The following acts qualify for this category: song and dance, vocal and live instrumental, lip sync, pantomimes, impersonations, skits, juggling, ventriloquism, magic, and any other talent not applicable to any of the other categories. No act may include a drum set(s) or more than 2 electric instruments and 1 amplifier. No baton acts are included in this category. When multiple acts apply, such as song and dance, the lesser partof the act must be at least one-third of the act’s total time.

INSTRUMENTS AND MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT

Adequate plug-ins for electric instruments are available.( NO PIANO OR KEYBOARD WILL BE PROVIDED, YOU MUST BRING YOUR OWN KEYBOARD, STANDS AND CABLES) Professional sound equipment including CD player and microphones are provided, and their use is required. No personal CD players or microphones will be allowed. Any act which includes self-accompaniment will be considered a multiple talent and must be entered in the Variety Category.

Musical accompaniment for any act must be recorded. Contestants must furnish their own CD’s, which must contain only the music needed for performance and must not be longer than 3 minutes. Any act whose CD contains more than the music needed for their performance will be automatically disqualified. It is recommended you bring a second CD to have in case of an emergency. All CDs must checked in advance and should be of good quality.

All CD’s should be clearly marked with contestant(s) name, length of music and and music title.

Due to time restrictions, only the Top 5 contestants in each of the six categories will be chosen to perform. Entry forms and demos will be accepted thru September 14th at 5pm. The top 30 acts chosen to participate will be contacted by phone/ email by September 18th with detailed instructions including time and location to meet prior to the contest. If you do not submit a demo with your entry form by the deadline you will not be considered for the contest. NO EXCEPTIONS

THE DIRECTOR AND/OR MANAGER OF THE NEA DISTRICT FAIR RESERVES THE FINAL AND ABSOLUTE RIGHT TO INTERPRET THESE RULES AND ARBITRARILY SETTLE AND DETERMINE ALL MATTERS, QUESTIONS AND DIFFERENCES IN REGARD THERETO, OR OTHERWISE ARISING OUT OF OR CONNECTED WITH, OR INCIDENT TO THE CONTEST, AND THE RIGHT TO AMEND OR ADD TO THESE RULES AS THEIR JUDGMENT MAY DETERMINE. ANY CONTESTANT WHO FAILS TO ABIDE BY ANY OF THE ABOVE RULES WILL BE DISQUALIFIED FROM THE REGIONAL AND STATE CONTESTS BY THE STATE CONTEST DIRECTOR AND/OR STATE FAIR MANAGEMENT.

If you have further questions, please contact Trey Stafford at 870-933-8800 ext 112 or via email Trey@jradiogroup.com