Where Does Jennifer Lopez Hang Out in Miami?

Jennifer Lopez is deep in the auditioning process for her new Las Vegas residency, All I Have. She’s whittling down hundreds of hopefuls keen to join the dance troupe, and when it comes to assessing them, Lopez is a no-nonsense critic. “I started as a dancer, so I have an eye for it. I’ve done it my whole life,” she shrugs.

Before her breakout turn as a booty-shaking Fly Girl on In Living Color, Lopez was a backup dancer in Janet Jackson videos and for New Kids on the Block at the 1991 American Music Awards (this year, she returned to the same show, albeit as the headlining host). Such experience has given Lopez a pro’s perspective on those rooms full of hopefuls. “Sometimes other people—the music department or my management—might like a person, but I’m like, ‘Oh, they’re a little bit weak in this part; there’s not enough technique.’” One person who has already made the cut: 19-year old Miami native Gaby Diaz, whose prize package for winning the most recent season of So You Think You Can Dance included a few dates as part of Lopez’s troupe.