Lopez Partnering with NBC for Reality Competition Series “World of Dance”

Jennifer Lopez is heading back to (her old) life… And back to reality (television).

The 46-year-old Puerto Rican actress/singer, who gained her first regular high-profile job as a Fly Girl dancer on In Living Color, is partnering with NBC to launch World of Dance, a reality competition series from Lopez’s Nuyorican Productions and the nascent Universal Television Alternative Studios that will offer a seven-figure grand prize.

Jennifer Lopez

The 10-episode series, in partnership with global dance brand World of Dance, will bring together elite dancers from around the globe to compete in battles of artistry, precision and athleticism.  Solo artists will compete against duos and crews in an unlimited range of dance, including hip hop, krumping, popping, locking, tap, ballet, break dancing, ballroom, clogging, stomping and more, NBC said.

“This will be a fierce talent-heavy dance competition that embraces the raw emotion and excitement that dance represents,” said Lopez, who stars on the NBC cop drama Shades of Blue. “I am excited to work with World of Dance, an organization that has had an immeasurable impact on the dance community, to give all dancers an enormous platform where their dreams can be realized.”

Selected from qualifying events and online submissions, competitors are divided into three divisions: Junior (any size act under 16 years old), Upper (groups of one to four, over 16 years) and Team (groups of five or more, over 16 years). After an initial audition round, divisions face off in duels until only one of each is left standing. A panel of experts will score the acts using a point system developed by World of Dance that rates routine, execution, presentation and crowd appeal. The finale sees the winners from each division duke it out for $1 million.

The behind-the-scenes team also will feature Emmy-winning choreographers Napoleon and Tabitha D’umo, collectively known as Nappytabs.