'World of Dance' announces ballerina Misty Copeland as upcoming guest judge

World of Dance has officially introduced its very first guest judge.


NBC has announced American Ballet Theatre star Misty Copeland will serve as a guest judge on World of Dance for its July 18 and July 25 episodes.

Misty will join regular judges Jennifer Lopez, Derek Hough and Ne-Yo during Round 3 of the dancing competition called "The Cut." All the while, Jenna Dewan Tatum serves as host and mentor of the acts.

During "The Cut" round, more than half the acts will be sent home, and only the Top 2 acts from each division will move on to "The Divisional Final."

Misty is the first African-American principal ballerina in the history of American Ballet Theatre.


"When judging the best of the best, we knew we needed an all-star guest judge with passion and credibility to mentor these incredible dancers," Lopez said in a statement. "Misty Copeland is at the top of her game and we are so honored that she was able to lend her expertise and experience to the World of Dance stage."

Misty joined American Ballet Theatre in 2001 and in 2007 became the company's second African-American female soloist and the first in two decades.

In 2015, Misty was promoted to principal dancer, becoming the first African-American woman in this position throughout the company's 75-year history. A couple of her major roles have included Odette/Odile in "Swan Lake" and Juliet in "Romeo & Juliet."

Misty has also performed on Broadway and is a New York Times bestselling author.

World of Dance just commenced its round of duels in which two dance acts in a division square off for only one spot in "The Cut" round.


The individual, duo, trio or group to eventually win World of Dance will walk away with the $1 million grand prize.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski