Paula Abdul is in Her Element on 'Live to Dance'

One chance, one dance. That was the deal on Tuesday night's premiere of Paula Abdul's labor of love, CBS' "Live To Dance."

The brand spankin' new dance competition show brought the former "American Idol" sweetheart back where she belongs- at a judges' table.

Abdul was joined at audition locations in Los Angeles and New York by choreographers Travis Payne and Kimberly Wyatt as they fielded through the masses to narrow down to their "short list" of dancers.

The Top 18 dance acts will compete for the title of "The Best New Dance Act in America"- and for the grand prize of $500,000.

In an interesting twist, the judges on "Live To dance" don't confer with one another before deciding if an act will go through to the next round. Instead, each judge awards the act either a gold star or a red star. A minimum of two gold stars is all that's needed to move on to the next round.

So who made the short list so far on "Live to Dance?"

Jaden. This 9-year old wonder (who said he has never taken a dance class but instead learned to dance by watching other people) blew the judges away with his funky break dance routine. Paula told him he was "an amazing bright light."

Bev and Hap. These old timers (he's 68, she's 83!) started out with a snooze worthy slow dance to "Moon River," then quickly broke out of their funk and got...well, funky. They did robot moves and even moonwalked.

Jill and Jacob. These BFF's have a crush on one another, but they're keeping it all business for now.

Inside the Box. Here's a hard luck story for ya. This huge ensemble group (who jammed to Looney Tunes!) must practice their routines outside- moving from campus to campus until they get kicked out- because their studio burnt down.

Beyond Gold. What a drag it is getting old. These lovely ladies used to dance on the popular TV show "Solid Gold" back in the 70s. Unfortunately, their moves weren't quite as smooth in 2011. At first, everyone but Paula said no to them. But Paula got all nostalgic, calling them trailblazers and dance legends, so Travis Payne changed his vote and put them through.

Shore Thing. This ensemble from Cape May, NJ looked like some "Thriller" wannabes with their macabre makeup, but Paula love loved their spooky dance, saying, "I could never tire of watching you."

Twitch. This group consisted of 8 girls- and an Anthony. A teary-eyed Paula told them, "You inspire me so much."

D'Angelo and Amanda. This pint size duo said they are "in a relationship". She's 11 and he's 10. Kimberly Wyatt told them they were born to dance and "Born to win."

And here are a few more acts that made it through to the next round:

Du-Shaunt Stegall

Tap Sounds Underground

Supatrix

Dance in Flight

The Vibe

Jittin' Genius

Kendall Glover

Iconic Boyz

Lilphunk Boyz

Chi-Town Finest Breakers

Wednesday night on "Live to Dance," the pros will narrow down their short list to decide which acts will compete in the live semifinals.

And America will get a say in this, too: Voters will decide on who the 18^th act will be.

You can catch "Live to Dance" tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET on CBS.

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Source: "Live To Dance", January 4, 2011, CBS TV