Meet the 'Dancing With the Stars Juniors' Judges
There's no question that the 2018 Dancing With the Stars Juniors cast members are all seriously talented. And to make them shine even more in the ballroom, ABC tapped three judges to offer constructive criticism to the junior pros and their celebrity partners.
This year, the judging panel consists of Mandy Moore, Adam Rippon, and Val Chmerkovskiy. Here's what each judge is bringing to the dance floor this season:
Mandy Moore
If there's anyone qualified to judge a dance competition, it's Mandy Moore (not to be confused with This Is Us Mandy Moore). The director/producer/choreographer is best known for her work on So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With the Stars. She has been nominated for seven Emmys and has won two for Outstanding Choreography for the two programs. Plus, her Emmys bio reveals that in 2017 she made history by being the first choreographer to choreograph the Golden Globe Awards, Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, and Emmy Awards ... in the same year!
Val Chmerkovskiy
Chances are, if you're a fan of the grown-ups version of Dancing With the Stars, you've seen Val before. The professional dancer has been on the show for seven years and was partnered with Nancy McKeon for the latest season. His ABC bio says that Val has won 14 National Championships and been crowned the World Dance Champion twice over the course of his career. Just this past summer, Val got engaged to fellow DWTS pro Jenna Johnson (who is paired with Joe Amabile this season).
Adam Rippon
Adam Rippon has been BUSY (to say the very least) in 2018. The U.S. figure skater not only competed and earned a bronze medal in the Winter Olympics this year, but he also won Dancing With the Stars Athletes ... and is now judging the Juniors version of the show. In addition to his athletic achievements, Adam Rippon was awarded the 2018 Visibility award winner by the Human Rights Campaign for his LGBTQ activism.
Mandy Moore, Val Chmerkovskiy, and Adam Rippon have a REALLY tough job.