[2] This panel of judges again features series creator Nigel Lythgoe, as well as the return of ballroom dance champion and expert Mary Murphy.
New to the panel are choreographer Laurieann Gibson and B-boy dancer/choreographer Dominic "D-Trix" Sandoval, who serve as the third and fourth judges during auditions and live shows.
[3] Cat Deeley continues in her role as host for a fifteenth consecutive season, for which she has earned five Emmy Award nominations.
[7] In episode ten, and for the rest of the season, the Studio Performance Shows showcase the finalists in solos, duets, and group numbers, as they vie to connect with viewers who vote for their favorites.
On September 16, 2019, Bailey Muñoz was crowned "America's Favorite Dancer" and became the first b-boy to win the title in the show's history.
[9] Madison Jordan, an eventual Top Six contestants, shared that she submitted her online video in January and was contacted a month later to in-person auditions.
[14] The Academy Rounds, filmed in April, started in episode six at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California with the eighty-three contestants who made it through the Judges’ Auditions to get a Golden Ticket by excelling in a dance style of their choice.
[10][7][c] Over three days they will go through four Choreography Rounds of The Academy; rehearsing new dance routines, from a professional choreographer, en masse for ninety minutes.
[7] Day Two, the Ballroom Round cuts another fifteen people including: Colton, the other identical twin; and Sarah “Smac” McCreanor, a jazz dancer who wowed the judges as a comedic performer, but whose dancing was not at a high enough standard for the season.
[7][16] Episode seven picks up in the middle of the Contemporary Round, where fifty-four dancers faced more cuts: including Jay Jackson, a contemporary dancer, and drag queen, who competed in drag last year but opted not to this time;[7][16] and Jarrod Tyler Paulson, who is in a romantic relationship with fellow contestant Madison Jordan, who advanced to the Top Twenty.
The Academy Rounds took place in April, the contestants had a few months off to practice as the live shows did not begin filming until August.
[10] The rest of the season consists of the studio shows—taped in front of a live audience on Saturdays, then aired the following Monday; with the exception of the finale, which was broadcast live—eliminating finalists based on viewer votes to determine "America's favorite dancer".
[48] Afterwards host Cat Deeley alluded to this episode going "around the world", with later numbers presenting dance styles from Africa, Polynesia, and South America.