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The Next Generation.
A full rebrand, a cast built entirely from kids, and ten All-Stars turned mentors make season thirteen the format's furthest departure from its original premise.
A rhythm worth tracking.
Season thirteen rebrands the show entirely as The Next Generation, opening the competition to dancers aged eight to thirteen for the first time. Ten returning All-Stars each mentor a young finalist through the live rounds, and Maddie Ziegler joins the panel as a full fourth judge alongside Nigel Lythgoe, Paula Abdul, and Jason Derulo. The season's thirteen-episode order is the shortest since the show's debut.
The #15 slot.
Slot #15 of 18 in the So You Think You Can Dance Editor's Canon. Season thirteen ranks in the C-tier for a change too large to ignore: the show rebrands entirely as The Next Generation, narrowing the competition to dancers aged eight to thirteen. It's a legitimate structural experiment — ten returning All-Stars each mentor one young finalist, and Maddie Ziegler joins as a full fourth judge — but it trades away the premise the canon has valued most across twelve prior seasons: adult dancers competing on pure technique, with nothing but the audition tape and a live vote behind them. The shortened thirteen-episode order compounds the sense of a season built for a different show. Ambitious, but the furthest the format has strayed from itself.
4 moments, no spoilers.
- Ep 1 · a full rebrand
The show returns under a new title, The Next Generation, with the competition open to dancers aged eight to thirteen for the first time.
- Ep 2 · All-Stars turn mentors
Ten returning All-Star dancers each select and mentor one young finalist for the run of live shows.
- Ep 4 · a fourth chair
Maddie Ziegler joins Nigel Lythgoe, Paula Abdul, and Jason Derulo as a full judge on the panel.
- Ep 6 · a tighter season
The competition runs a shortened thirteen-episode order, condensing the format considerably.