Maddie Ziegler Joins So You Think You Can Dance As Its Youngest Judge Ever

The upcoming season of So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation, the long-running Fox reality series has added 13-year-old Dance Moms alum Maddie Ziegler to the judging panel, where she'll sit alongside returning judges Nigel Lythgoe, Paula Abdul, and Jason Derulo.

Ziegler will lend her expertise as a young dancer to critique and praise the contestants as they battle it out during the studio shows this summer, the network said in a statement announcing the addition. This new season of SYTYCD will shine a spotlight on dancers between 8 and 13 years old, each of which will be paired up with SYTYCD all-stars as they compete for the title of America's Favorite Dancer. The returning all-stars will be revealed at a later date. 

The show's co-creator and executive producer Lythgoe said in a statement when the series' revamp was announced that “Through the Dizzy Feet Foundation, I've had the great privilege of working with incredible young talent who will eventually shape the future of dance in this country. By evolving the So You Think You Can Dance format this season, we can showcase the very best junior dancers out there and open up the world of dance to a whole new generation”.