Virginia 4-H Contest Guide-Share-the-Fun

Description of Contest

Share-the-Fun programs help encourage 4-H youth to display their talents in expressive arts and develop presentation skills and confidence performing in front of an audience. Judges evaluate 4-H performers based on talent, audience response, creativity, showmanship, and use of costumes/props. The goal is to help 4-H Share-the-Fun participants develop their talents in a creative and constructive manner.

Combination: Any combination of vocal, instrumental, and/or dance
Dance: Includes tap, modern, acrobatic, ballet, jazz, folk, and interpretive forms of dance
Drama: Includes mime, monologue, or acting out a short skit or scene(s) from a play
Instrumental: May also sing or dance but judged solely on instrumental performance
Variety: Includes clowning, gymnastics/tumbling, magic acts, or puppetry
Vocal: Singing which may include dance or instrument, but judged solely on vocal performance

Levels of Competition

Unit (city/county), District, State

Age categories are as follows, using September 30^th of the 4-H year as the determining date.

Juniors (ages 9-11)
Intermediates (ages 12-13)
Seniors (ages 14-18)

In acts with multiple youth (max of 4) participating, the age category of the act is determined by the oldest participant. Please note that acts with mixed age groups will not be eligible for state competitions because only senior age members may compete at Congress and the entire act must go forward. Cloverbuds are not allowed to compete in judged acts as this is against state 4-H policy. Cloverbuds may perform at unit events where available, but as exhibition (non-judged) acts only and will earn a participation ribbon.

Awards to be Earned

The Danish awards system will be used at all levels of competition. Blue ribbons will be awarded to competitors earning 90-100 points; red ribbons will be awarded to competitors earning 75-89 points; white ribbons will be awarded to competitors earning 74 points or less.

Certain Extension districts award a purple ribbon to the highest scoring youth in the category. It is up to each district to determine purple ribbon eligibility, but that is generally reserved for blue ribbon winners only. State Share- the-Fun eligibility is determined at the unit level, and each act must participate in a qualifying event, either at the unit or district level, depending on the county’s process. Each unit may submit no more than one act in each of the six Share-the-Fun categories. At the state contest, the highest scoring act in each of the six Share-the-Fun categories will be awarded a project medal. Youth who win the state project medal in a category are ineligible to compete in that category in future years and should not repurpose the same act to make it fit a different category.

Rules for this Contest

1. There is a maximum number of four (4) youth allowed in any one Share-the-Fun act.
2. There is a maximum four (4) minute time limit. If exceeded, ten (10) points will be deducted from the final score.
3. Only 1 act per unit in each Share-the-Fun category may advance to the State competition
4. Competitors should dress appropriately for their act, including any costumes or props that add to their piece. This may not include any clothing items or props that could distract or be seen as offensive/inappropriate in nature.
5. Participants must compete with the same material at all levels of competition (i.e. same song/material, same contestant(s)). Acts may fine-tune their selections based on feedback from county and/or district judges. (For example, if a judge recommends adding hand movements to a vocal act, you can do that, but you cannot change the song at the next level of competition.) but changing the main performance is NOT allowed.
6. All live accompaniments must be part of the act and will be judged. Therefore, all accompanists must be age-eligible and meet the competition criteria.
7. Music for any act must be provided by the contestant. A CD with a single track is preferred because it is the most compatible with show equipment. Contestants who cannot provide this type of media should check with the contest manager to see what other options are available, if any (iPod, MP3, etc.).
8. Contestants in the vocal category who are using musical accompaniment must provide an instrumental/karaoke version of the song, not one with the original artist’s vocals. This ensures that judges can adequately hear and evaluate the youth performer.

Educational Resources to Help Prepare for this Contest

VCE Publication 388-065, “Performing Arts Record” available at: http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/388/388-065/388-065.html

Score Sheets for this Contest

VCE Publication 388-064, “Information for Scoring 4-H Share-the-Fun Acts” available at: http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/388/388-064/388-064.html

Sample YouTube Videos of 4-H Youth in This Contest

None available at this time, but this is a goal for Virginia 4-H! If you are interested in creating a how-to video or posting a sample of your work, please contact your unit Extension staff who will work with the State 4-H Office.