UCLA gymnast Nia Dennis went viral in 2020 for her Beyoncé and Homecoming floor routine — so viral that she ended up on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Now, the senior is again with a brand new routine for the 2021 season, and her efficiency on the Bruins’ first competitors (and win!) of the yr towards the Arizona State Solar Devils on Jan. 23 didn’t disappoint. It wowed with an enormous 9.95 (sure, that’s actually .05 away from an ideal rating!).
Within the video above, you may see Dennis open up with a high-flying double backflip set to Kendrick Lamar’s “Humble.” You may additionally see her signature crown pose in addition to some TikTok-inspired strikes earlier than her second tumbling cross. She actually seems to be like she’s having the time of her life on the market. Former UCLA coach Valorie Kondos Field, or “Miss Val,” used to at all times check with flooring as a “floor party,” and we predict Dennis made her proud undoubtedly!
Dennis stated in a press convention after the competitors that her routine represents her persona, which is why she selected to have a “dance get together,” as she described it, whereas additionally incorporating her tradition as a Black girl. She’s seen stepping in a single nook of the ground; this, she famous, is a tribute to her father, who was a part of Greek life in school. “He was in fraternities, and stepping is really big,” she stated.
Dennis’s choreography additionally included her elevating her fist for the Black Power salute. She shared an image of this pose on her Instagram Tales, writing “BLM” for the Black Lives Matter motion.
Previous to the competitors, UCLA and Arizona State kneeled across the flooring in what the Bruins known as a “circle of unity” to point out their help for antiracism and social-justice efforts. “There’s nonetheless work to be carried out,” the crew stated in an announcement, “and we’ll proceed to take a stand and converse up for equality and for change.”
