UCLA Gymnast Nia Dennis' Epic Floor Routine Has Gained Internet Fame

Feb 06, 2021 by apost team

UCLA senior gymnast Nia Dennis wowed the crowd at the recent season opener between UCLA and Arizona State in January 2021, when she performed a floor routine that was not only technically brilliant, but it showed off her dance moves in an incredibly delightful way. The near-perfect routine had the entire crowd buzzing and it's since gained popularity on the internet. Let's take a look at the impressive performance.

Gymnastics routines have been getting a lot of love in the last few years and with good reason. Some of the routines that gymnasts are turning out these days show more than just technical skill—they are also an absolute joy to watch, incorporating elements of dance and other performance aspects. Sometimes they even have a deeper message. 

That was the case for UCLA senior gymnast Nia Dennis, who landed a near-perfect floor routine when she competed at the recent season opener between UCLA and Arizona State in January 2021. Dennis literally struts onto the floor like she already knows just how iconic her performance will be and then the music starts. For those who aren't in the know, it's the background music of a Kendrick Lamar song, the Grammy Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper from Los Angeles. Dennis throws in a few dance moves before she truly gets into her routine, adding a fun element for both herself and viewers. Then comes the tumbling, which deservedly receives big cheers from the crowd. 

The music then switches through other current artists including Beyonce, Missy Elliott, Soulja Boy, and Megan Thee Stallion, before ending on Tupac Shakur's iconic Golden State anthem, California Love. Throughout her entire routine, Dennis lands every single tumble, spin, and jump perfectly, while her positive attitude and beaming smile show that she's also had a fun time doing it. The mix of acrobatic and dance elements makes her routine a joy to watch, as it shows off Dennis' personality and athletic abilities. And her work paid off—she scored a near-perfect 9.950 and clinched the win for the Bruins.

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UCLA posted a video of the routine to Twitter with the caption: "This is what #blackexcellence looks like. @DennisNia does it again!" And naturally, the internet lost their minds at this incredible routine. Currently, the Twitter video has over 10 million views, while the upload on UCLA's YouTube channel has over two million. It's also amassed an incredible number of likes and retweets and deservedly so. People were quick to comment just how fantastic they thought Dennis' routine was. One person wrote:

"I have watched this so many times! It’s fire! She killed it. And also love how smiley she was having so much fun performing! more of this please @DennisNia !!"

One user named Wells P tweeted the video with a simple headline, "We got a new superstar." The post has been liked over 375,000 times and has over 80,000 retweets. While another pointed out Dennis' incredibly supportive teammates who can also be seen in the video:

"But also teamwork. Loving the team and crew on the sidewalk cheering her on, dancing with her. Joy."

The amazing routine also drew the attention of celebrities too! Rapper Missy Elliott, whose music appears in the routine, commented, "Snappin 🔥" while Simone Biles, America's most decorated gymnast also gave a supportive comment. She wrote:

"okay @DennisNia do the damn thing girl 🔥 this was so fun to watch! keep killing it!"

Dennis spoke to the Los Angeles Daily News about her the inspiration behind her iconic performance, telling them:

“This routine definitely reflects everything that I am today as a woman, and of course I had to incorporate a lot of parts of my culture. I wanted to have a dance party because that’s my personality and of course I had to shout out LA because we out here, UCLA.”

It's not even the first time Dennis has gained popularity on the internet with a gymnastics routine—last year, a routine she did set to Beyonce's music scored her a similarly near-perfect 9.975 score and did the rounds on the internet too. The routine was just as effervescent and delightful to watch, with Dennis incorporating dance moves in between her jaw-dropping feats of gymnastic skill. At the time she even commented on the incredible support she'd received from people, writing in a tweet:

"I am overwhelmed with happiness and joy, thank you everyone for such positive messages, it means the world to me to have your support. this is so surreal i can’t even believe it! much love always.. -xx nations 💕"

Her Beyonce routine was even tweeted by the official Olympic Channel, who made reference to yet another internet-famous gymnastics routine, incidentally from a fellow UCLA teammate. They tweeted:

"A year after Katelyn Ohashi, Nia Dennis takes the Internet by storm.😍"

Katelyn Ohashi's famous routine took place exactly one year earlier in January 2019. Beginning with Tina Turner's iconic song Proud Mary, the soundtrack for the routine included multiple Michael Jackson hits. Her performance was just as high energy as Dennis' and landed Ohashi a perfect 10 score. And naturally, it broke the internet. 

But what's even more incredible is that it wasn't the first time Ohashi had become internet famous for a routine of hers OR gotten a perfect 10 score—she'd achieved the exact same feat one year earlier in 2018 in a now-iconic routine that was soundtracked completely by Michael Jackson songs. There is clearly something in the water over at the UCLA gymnastics department! Whatever they're doing, they're doing it very right.

By now the university gym team has earned an esteemed reputation for how many incredible routines it continues to put forth into the world. It's clear that the gymnasts performing the routines are absolutely thrilled doing them, while the world gets to appreciate their talent and the genuine positive energy that they bring—everyone wins. We can't wait to see what UCLA has in store for us in the future, because if it's anything like Dennis or Ohashi's performances, we're sure in for a treat.

What did you think of Nia Dennis' near-perfect routine? Have you been a fan of any of UCLA's previous internet-famous gymnastics performances? Tell us in the comments, then be sure to pass this on to your friends and family to brighten up their day if this video brightened yours!