Talented Dancers and Musicians Advance to the Next Round of Bill Riley Talent Search

DES MOINES, IA (08/12/2025) (readMedia)-- Five talented Sprout division acts (ages 2-12) and seven Senior division acts (ages 13-21) have advanced to the semi-final round in Bill Riley's 65th annual Iowa State Fair Talent Search. Each act will perform again on Thursday, August 14, Friday, August 15 or Saturday, August 16.

The names, ages, hometowns and routines of the sprouts acts are:

Warren Place, 12, Pella, Lyrical Dance Solo

Marianne Rose Scott,12, Johnston, Piano Solo

Riley Oster, 11, Woodbine; Schalee Schrader, 11, Mapleton; Tap Dance Duet

Bria Rausch, 12, Fort Atkinson, Vocal Solo

Lucy Smid, 10, Des Moines, Lyrical Dance Solo

The names, ages, hometowns and routines of the senior acts are:

Hayden Miller, 17, Manilla, Acro/Jazz Dance Solo

David Michael Negley, 20, Winterset, Musical Theatre Vocal Solo

Claire Southard, 17, Des Moines; Andre Johnson, 18, Des Moines; Contemporary Acro Dance Duet

Brooklyn Frantz, 17, Walcott, Tap Dance Solo

Aleesha Smith, 17, Waterloo, Vocal Solo

April Naeve, 20, Fort Dodge, Lyrical Dance Solo

Jaynee Depue, 19, Humboldt, Musical Theatre Vocal Solo

The Bill Riley Talent Search has put Iowa's young talent on stages across the state each summer since 1960. Nearly 100 local qualifying competitions are held across the state and winners advance to the State Fair competition, where there are seven days of preliminary competition for Sprouts (ages 2-12) and Seniors (ages 13-21), followed by the semi-finals and, ultimately, the selection of one Senior Champion. The Sprouts do not compete beyond the semi-finals, but perform in the Championship Show as Sprout Champions set for Sunday, August 17 at 1:30 p.m. on the Anne and Bill Riley Stage sponsored by Pepsi and media sponsor iHeart Radio.

More than $22,000 will be awarded to the Senior and Sprout divisions combined.

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The Iowa State Fair is one of the oldest and largest agricultural and industrial expositions in the country and the single largest event in the state. The Fair began over 170 years ago and is now considered one of the best events in the nation, attracting more than one million Fairgoers every year from all over the world. The Fairgrounds are located at East 30th and East University, just off the interstate and minutes from Downtown Des Moines. Fair Sweet Fair, August 7-17, 2025. For more information, visit www.iowastatefair.org.