Vanessa Hudgens has joined ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ as a judge.
The ‘High School Musical’ star will join Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy on the panel of the dance competition reality TV show and will make her debut when ‘SYTYCD’ returns on June 12. Nigel said: “I am so excited for Vanessa to join Mary and me on the judging panel for the 14th season of ‘So You Think You Can Dance’. There was instant chemistry in the audition rounds, and I know the ‘SYTYCD’ fans will love her as much as we do. Vanessa is an accomplished artist and brings her own brand of enthusiasm and energy to our panel.”
After a Next Generation season of dancers between the ages of 8 and 13 last series, ‘SYTYCD’ will return to its roots for the upcoming season 14, with dancers between the ages of 18 and 30. Vanessa, 28, joins the show after her superhero comedy ‘Powerless’ was axed earlier this month by NBC. The star – who rose to fame after starring as Gabriella Montez in the Disney musical movie franchise ‘High School Musical’ – recently advised her fans to “stay committed” to achieving their goals.
Asked what she would tell her younger fans, Vanessa said: “Work hard. I think that it’s really easy nowadays to lose focus and have a short attention span. You have to stay really dedicated to your work and to growing and to learning. Stay committed!”