'Dancing with the Stars: Juniors' judges panel: 'Kids are incredible'

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Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Dancing with the Stars: Juniors judges panel: 'Kids are incredible'
Twelve celebrity kids are sparkling up their wardrobe, breaking in their dancing shoes and getting ready to wow the ballroom on "Dancing with the Stars: Juniors."

Twelve celebrity kids are sparkling up their wardrobe, breaking in their dancing shoes and getting ready to wow the ballroom on "Dancing with the Stars: Juniors!"



Emmy award-winning choreographer Mandy Moore, professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy and "Dancing with the Stars: Athletes" Season 26 champion, Adam Rippon, are on the judge's panel.



They talked about how this ballroom dancing competition adds a whole new level of difficulty, since the stars and pros are kids. But boy, do they shine.



"This is the thing. Kids are incredible. I've found, that working with the kids in general - children in general, but also on the show - you give them a task and coach them through it, and they want nothing more than to make it right and to do it," Moore said. "I think that's what this show is: putting kids together and asking them to do something amazing and then saying, 'Hey! Put a camera on them. Let's watch it.'"



The stars include Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson; former Chicago Bull Scottie Pippen's daughter, Sophia Pippen; "Black-ish" star Miles Brown; Stevie Wonder's son, Mandla Morris; and Akash Vukoti. At age 6, Vukoti was the youngest boy ever to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.



Each star, along with their pro partner, will be mentored by adult pros.



Here's the full cast:



-Addison Osta Smith with Lev Khmelev, mentored by Keo Motsepe


-Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson with Tristan Ianiero, mentored by Artem Chigvintsev


-Akash Vukoti with Kamri Peterson, mentored by Witney Carson


-Ariana Greenblatt with Artyon Celestine, mentored by Brandon Armstrong


-Hudson West with Kameron Couch, mentored by Hayley Erbert


-Jason Maybaum with Elliana Walmsley, mentored by Emma Slater


-Mackenzie Ziegler with Sage Rosen, mentored by Gleb Savchenko


-Mandla Morris with Brightyn Brems, mentored by Cheryl Burke


-Miles Brown with Rylee Arnold, mentored by Lindsay Arnold


-Sky Brown with JT Church, mentored by Alan Bersten


-Sophia Pippen with Jake Monreal, mentored by Sasha Farber


-Tripp Johnston with Hailey Bills, mentored by Jenna Johnson



"Dancing with the Stars: Juniors" will be hosted by "Dancing with the Stars" Season 25 Mirrorball trophy-winner Jordan Fisher and finalist Frankie Muniz.



"Dancing with the Stars: Juniors" debuts Sunday at 8 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. CT on ABC.

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