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

As the Fox reality series turns its focus to young dancers, the Dance Moms alum joins the judging panel

The contestants aren't the only thing getting younger in season 13 of So You Think You Can Dance.

For the upcoming season, now dubbed 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. (And don't fret: Host Cat Deely is also returning.) 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. 

"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," Lythgoe, the show's co-creator and executive producer, said in a statement when the series' revamp was announced. "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."

Are you looking forward to Ziegler joining the SYTYCD judges table? Sound off in the comments below!

So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation premieres Monday, May 30 at 8 p.m. on FOX.