Other Talent Competition: What It Is, Where It’s Run and How It’s Judged

A catch-all talent entry for acts that are not singing, dancing or instrumental music, such as magic, martial arts, hula hoop or comedy, performed as a solo or a small act and marked out of 100.

Other Talent is the section of a talent search that takes everything which does not fit the vocal, dance or instrumental classes. A magician, a martial artist, a hula hoop performer, a juggler, a comedian, a ventriloquist or a baton twirler would all enter here. Its purpose is administrative as much as artistic: sorting acts by type lets the organiser build a balanced running order and make sure each kind of act is judged against its own sort.

A round is one performance on the stage with a printed time limit, and the stopwatch begins when the music starts and ends when the act is done. Set-up is kept short so the show moves along. The performer, or the small group, presents one complete act, and the judges watch the whole of it before scoring. Because no two acts in this section look alike, the panel is really asking the same questions of each: was it rehearsed, was it safe, did it keep the audience, and did it finish on time.

On the eTalenter template that carries it, the item appears in two age divisions, Sprouts (ages 2 to 12) and Seniors (ages 13 to 21). Each division has a Solo group for individual acts and an Act group for team acts, so a solo magician and a five-person martial arts display are scored separately. Boys and girls compete together, no language is set, the limit is three minutes per act, and every entry is marked out of 100.

Organisers like the section because it keeps the door open for the performer who does not sing or dance. A fair or local show that only offered the three standard classes would turn those families away, and the unusual acts are often what the audience remembers. Coordinators using eTalenter register each act in the right division and entry type, record each judge’s marks, and let the software total and rank the results.

Where Other Talent is run

In eTalenter’s data Other Talent is carried by one template, a state-fair talent search in the United States that runs local shows leading to a state final. That template sorts every act as Vocal, Dance, Instrumental or Other, and the Other class is the one described here. Local talent shows at fairs, schools and community events commonly keep a similar catch-all class, but the name and rules vary, so this page does not claim more than the template supports.

• United States

Key facts

• Individual and team entries: each age division has a Solo group and an Act group.
• Two age divisions on the template: Sprouts (ages 2 to 12) and Seniors (ages 13 to 21).
• Boys and girls compete together; no language is set, so acts may be performed in any language.
• Time limit on the template: three minutes per act, with set-up time not counted.
• Marked out of 100 under the label Marks; the template prints no per-criterion marks, so none are installed.
• Ideas, not rules: magic, martial arts, hula hoop, juggling, comedy, ventriloquism and baton twirling are all typical entries.

On eTalenter, Other Talent is filed under Others and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.

Across the templates that use it, Other Talent is most often entered as an Team competition, typically scored out of 100, commonly time-limited to around 3 minutes where a limit is set.

What judges look at in Other Talent

What a Other Talent panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:

• The source rules print no judging criteria for this section, so the points below are general guidance, not an official sheet. Check the organiser’s own rules before the day.
• Entertainment value: does the act hold the audience from the first moment to the last? A clear opening, a build and a strong closing moment usually earn the most.
• Skill and control: judges reward an act performed cleanly at a level the performer can actually manage over a harder trick that fails.
• Safety and suitability: props, fire, blades or risky moves are a common reason for lost marks or a stopped act. Follow the organiser’s prop rules.
• Time discipline: the clock starts with the music, and an act that runs over can lose points or be disqualified at the judges’ discretion. Finish inside the limit.
• Stage presence and presentation: eye contact, confidence, costume and tidy handling of props make a modest act look professional.

Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Other Talent under Scoring Setup, or start from the judge scoring and tabulation guide.

How to prepare for Other Talent

How entrants and their teachers usually get Other Talent right on the day:

• Build the act to the limit, not around it. Three minutes is short, so cut anything that does not earn its place and rehearse with a stopwatch until you finish just under the line.
• Practise the set-up as carefully as the act. Know exactly what you carry on, where each item goes and how you clear the stage, so the clock is spent performing.
• Choose your music for the act, not just your taste. A clear beat or a distinct opening helps you start on cue and gives the timekeeper an obvious signal.
• Have a recovery plan. If a trick fails, know how to carry on smoothly; judges notice composure as much as the trick.
• Rehearse in front of strangers, such as neighbours or classmates, and ask what they would not have understood. Unusual acts need a clear story.
• Check the rules for age, props and the number of people on stage before you register, and enter the right division, Solo or Act, for your line-up.

Frequently asked questions

Is Other Talent judged individually or as a team?

Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Team entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.

What counts as Other Talent?

Any act the organiser allows that is not singing, dancing or instrumental music, for example a magician, a martial arts display or a hula hoop routine. If you are unsure whether your act fits, ask the organiser before registering.

How long can an Other Talent act be?

On the eTalenter template it is three minutes, with set-up time not counted. Always confirm the limit in your own event’s rules.

Can a group enter Other Talent?

Yes. Each age division has a separate Act group for team entries, so a group is scored apart from solo performers.

Are there printed judging criteria?

Not in the source rules this template was built from, so eTalenter installs none and marks each entry out of 100. Ask your organiser how the panel will score.

Want the full judging picture? Read the judge scoring and tabulation guide, or browse every others competition item.