Whoa: Maddie Ziegler Will Judge "SYTYCD"
Photo by Lucas Chilczuk
Another day, another truly buzzy piece of Maddie Ziegler news—and we’re especially curious to hear how you guys feel about this latest announcement.
Yesterday, we found out that Maddie will be joining “So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation” as a judge. But she won’t be part of the parade of guest judges who hop on and off the table throughout the summer. Instead, the teen will be evaluating the show’s young contestants, ages 8–13, throughout the run, alongside previously announced judges Nigel Lythgoe, Paula Abdul and Jason Derulo.
On the one hand: Hey, that’s kind of neat. Obviously, we <3 Maddie Ziegler. Bringing in a young’un to judge this season’s young’uns is an interesting move on the show’s part, and Maddie’s seen a lot over the course of her already-impressive dance career, giving her more perspective on the industry than most 13-year-olds have. (Plus, it might mean a guest performance by Miss Z and her bestie Sia, which we will never, ever say no to.)
On the other: In the past, the “SYTYCD” judging panel has really benefited from the expertise of seasoned pros like Misty Copeland, whose turns as guest judge were nothing short of awesome. Maddie might have the same kind of name recognition that Misty does, but relatively speaking, she’s green. Should the judging slot go to somebody more experienced?
What are your thoughts, dancers? Let us know in the comments. And to see how this all goes down, be sure to tune in to “SYTYCD,” which kicks off May 30 on Fox.
