Meet the
Judges
At Act 1 Talent we take great pride in our commitment to excellence. As part of our mission to recognize and celebrate outstanding talent our panel of industry professionals are here to elevate dancers on their artistic journey. We believe each performance is a chance to witness the transformative power of dance and celebrate the dedication of those who take our stage. Meet some of our judges!
Liz Guerrieri
Mother Mary / Paris Hilton / Tinashe / Demi Lovato / Saturday Night Live / Kelsea Ballerini / Coachella / Halsey / Justin Bieber
Erin Marino
Director & Founder LA Establishment / Beyonce / Dua Lipa / Katy Perry / Gwen Stefanie / Encanto Live / Hairspray Live / Emmy Awards
Brandon Leffler
On The Town (Broadway) / Cinderella (Broadway) / Wicked (Broadway) / A Chorus Line (Broadway National Tour) / Tony Awards / Saturday Night Live
Pauline Mata
SYTYCD / Janet Jackson / Justin Bieber / J-Lo / Derek and Julianne Hough’s Move Beyond Live Tour
Janaya French
DWTS / SYTYCD / Physical / Gilmore Girls A Year In The Life / AMA’S (Shania Twain) / People’s Choice Awards (Kelsea Ballerini)
Tadd Gadduang
SYTYCD / Disney’s High School Musical 2 & 3 / MTV’s/Paramount’s The American Mall / Christina Aguilera / Zendaya
Yana Netreba
The Weeknd / Lady Gaga / Doja Cat / Becky G / Jordin Sparks / Rita Ora / The Voice / Modern Family / Grammy Awards / Jhené Aiko / Tinashe
Courtney Crain
Radio City Rockettes / The Louisiana Delta Ballet (Principal Dancer) / The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade / The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting / Mariah Carey’s Christmas Special “Merry Christmas to All” / The Today Show / The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon
Kelly Derricks
Physical / G.L.O.W. / The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel / Lucifer / Academy Awards / Miss U.S.A. / Jimmy Kimmel Live / FIFA World Cup
Lauren Gerard
Kidz Bop / The Pussycat Dolls / Karol G ft. Nicki Minaj / Kat Graham / Riot Games: Valorant Champions / The Rose Parade (America’s New Year’s Celebration) / Tony Testa
George Lawrence
SYTYCD / Teen Beach 2 / La La Land / Glee / Academy Awards / Late Late Show with James Corden / Panic! At the Disco
Hannah Hawkins
Radio City Rockettes / The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade / The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting / Taylor Swift / Billie Eilish / The Masked Singer / American Eagle International Commercial Campaigns
Kelsey Nelson
Rock of Ages (Motion Picture) / Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (Motion Picture) / Disney’s Million Dollar Arm (Motion Picture) / Royal Caribbean International / Universal Studios Orlando / Inside Dance Magazine Columnist / Universal Dance Association (UDA)
Robert Schultz
Modern Family / The Backstreet Boys / Caesars Palace / Paulina Rubio Grand City Pop Tour / Keeping up with the Kardashians / Billboard Awards / UK’s World Humanitarian Awards / B.I.N.G.O. CATS! / ADRIAN Short Film
Kristyn Abbadini
The Joffrey Ballet / Bruno Mars / Ivan Wrightman / Demi Moore / Elizabeth Berkley / Britney Spears / Michael Myers / Gina Gershon / Jamie Foxx / Paula Abdul / Jane’s Addiction / Lalaine / Green Day / Austin Powers / Starsky and Hutch
Tony Loupe
Wade Robson / Gregory Hines / Dianne Walker / Savion Glover / Nike / Avia / Columbia Sportswear
Michelle Elkin
Young Sheldon / Sutton Foster Live / Younger / Wonderland (Broadway) / Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage / Millennials Are Killing Musicals
Judges are subject to change, additions and substitutions will be made throughout the season.