Pitch Perfect star Anna Kendrick will put her dance knowledge to the test as she joins the judging panel for Fox’s dance competition.
Anna Kendrick will join regular judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy as they watch the top 14 contestants dance for America’s votes next week.
SYTYCD has been getting some flack this season for their guest judges’ contributions to the show. Normally a fun addition to the program, past guest judges have proven to be enthusiastic fans of the show, with helpful critiques and assessments of the dancers’ routines, even if they had no dance background.
But some of this season’s judges have been huge disappointments, and cringe-worthy to watch. A former dancer and choreographer herself, one would have expected Paula Abdul to have some words of wisdom, but she was the same rambling space cadet we came to know in her time on American Idol.
Last week’s guest judge was Carly Rae Jepsen, and while her name may have brought in some younger viewers, her judging performances likely prompted many to change the channel. Not only did she have no discernible knowledge of dance, but she had obviously never seen the show before, and had no idea what was going on. Her brief comments were only about the dancers or routines being “sexy” or “amazing,” or someone’s dress being pretty.
Kendrick, meanwhile, showed off some dance moves in last year’s hit Pitch Perfect, but that was not her first foray into the world of dance. She started out her career on the stage, earning a Tony nomination for her role in High Society when she was only 12 years old. She went on to appear in several other plays and musicals before her film career took off.
Anna Kendrick is approaching Jennifer Lawrence-levels of fan adoration, so her appearance as guest judge will likely bring in viewers as well, but her quick-thinking, no-holds-barred personality will likely add an entertainment factor of its very own.
Kendrick has several other musical projects on her plate. She’s just finished shooting the film adaptation of The Last 5 Years, co-starring Smash‘s Jeremy Jordan, and she’s also signed on as Cinderella in the upcoming Into The Woods, alongside Meryl Streep.