Derek Hough and Ne-Yo to serve as judges on Jennifer Lopez's new 'World of Dance' NBC dance competition

Derek Hough and Ne-Yo have signed on to judge World of Dance alongside previously-announced judge and executive producer Jennifer Lopez.


Hough, a six-time Dancing with the Stars mirrorball trophy champion and Emmy Award winning choreographer, and Ne-Yo, a Grammy Award-winning singer and dancer, will sit on the judges' table with Lopez for the new reality dance competition series on NBC, which has yet to set a premiere date.

"Jennifer, Derek and Ne-Yo are three of the most accomplished dancers of their generation, and their incredible insight from the judges' table will be both inspiring and wholly constructive to the world-class level of dancers who are competing on the show," NBC executive Meredith Ahr said in a statement.

"We feel so very honored that the three of them are giving back to the dance community in this way."

World of Dance will air over the course of 10 episodes and is being produced by Universal Television Alternative Studio and Nuyorican Productions.


In partnership with the global dance brand World of Dance, as previously announced, the show will bring the world's elite dancers together to compete in "epic battles of artistry, precision and athleticism" for a $1 million grand prize, according to the network.

Acts will range from solo artists to duos and crews who may perform hip-hop, krumping, popping, locking, tap, ballet, break dancing, ballroom, clogging, stomping and more.

Handpicked from qualifying events around the nation and thousands of online submissions, competitors will be divided into three divisions: Junior (any size act under 16-years-old), Upper (groups from 1-4 people over 16 years) and Team (groups of 5 people or more over 16 years).

Following the show's initial auditions, divisions will face off in duels until only one act in each division is left standing. A panel of experts will score each act using a point system developed by World of Dance.

The judging criteria will be routine, execution, presentation, and crowd appeal. In the finale, the winners from each division will duke it out for $1 million and the title of "Best in the World."


In addition to Lopez, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Benny Medina, Kris Curry, Matilda Zoltowski, David Gonzalez, Matthew Everitt and Al Hassas are also serving as executive producers.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski