Misty Copeland Is Joining the World of Dance Crew

With the first round of dancer duels complete, Jennifer Lopez and the World of Dance judges are bringing in some extra help as the competition thickens. American Ballet Theatre principal and all around dance superstar Misty Copeland will be the show’s first guest judge for the July 18th and July 25th episodes.

Copeland shared the news on Instagram, posing alongside judges Lopez, Ne-Yo and Derek Hough and host/dancer mentor Jenna Dewan-Tatum. Following another two rounds of duels, which feature two dancers/groups facing off against each other, Copeland will be on hand for the third round of the competition, called ‘The Cut.’

“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.”

After this week’s duels, which saw Fik-Shun, Eva Igo, and Keone and Mari progressing to the cuts, Copeland is sure to have some tough decisions ahead. And you can bet we’ll be watching.