‘So You Think You Can Dance’ Veteran Travis Wall Defends Season 13 Twist, Says Show Will Include ‘Incredible Talent’

Many fans of the hit competition series "So You Think You Can Dance" were less than thrilled when Fox announced this month that the show would be changing its format with younger contestants in Season 13. Instead of adults competing in the 2016 installment, dancers will now range in ages from 8 to 13.

Dancer Travis Wall, who competed on Season 2 of the show in 2006, recently opened up about the twist, telling Entertainment Weekly he's confident the show will still be able to find good talent.

“I teach on convention and I train younger dancers,” Wall explained. “And I know there’s a lot of talent out there. … I know a lot of the kids who are going to the audition. I’m telling you, these kids are going to be incredible. So if there’s any doubt in anyone’s mind that we’re not going to find incredible talent, they need to wipe that clean.”

According to Deadline, auditions for "So You Think You Can Dance: Next Generation" begin later this month in Los Angeles and will then head to Chicago before wrapping on March 18 in New York.

Besides recruiting young dancers, the show decided to switch up its format a bit as well. As previously reported, once dancers make it through the auditions they will compete to stay in "The Academy" and earn a spot in the top 10. Later in the competition, the remaining young dancers will be paired with former "SYTYCD" all-stars. Each week a dancer will be eliminated until there's one contestant left.

"The series has captivated its loyal fan base for over a decade, inspiring young dancers across the country and transforming the face of dance in every medium – and we’re so excited to feature a young and talented new group of performers on the series," Fox Entertainment President David Madden told Deadline after news broke of the show's new twist.

One thing that will remain the same is the judges. Jason Derulo, Paula Abdul and Nigel Lythgoe will all return as judges, while Cat Deeley will be back as the show's host.

"So You Think You Can Dance: Next Generation" premieres May 30 at 8 p.m. EST on Fox.