UCLA gymnastics star Nia Dennis is making headlines yet again for her recent show-stopping floor routine. Let's just say our good sis, Shut. It. Down. The UCLA gymnast performed to an array of some of our favorite hip-hop and R&B tunes from artists such as Missy Elliott, Kendrick Lamar, Megan Thee Stallion and closed it out with Tupac's "California Love," a shoutout to the City of Angels.
It's safe to say, UCLA Gymnastics knows they have a star on their hands! They even tweeted from their official account, "This is what #blackexcellence looks like. @DennisNia does it again!"
Scoring a 9.95 out of 10 for a flawlessly executed performance, she not only won first place, but our girl helped UCLA secure the win. Once the video of her performance hit the Internet, she rightfully received a whirlwind of praise, admiration, and support from celebrities and major news outlets, including Janet Jackson, Alicia Keys, Olympic champion Simone Biles, ESPN, and The Today Show.
However, this isn't the first time the 21-year-old killed her floor routine. Just last February, do you remember when she set social media ablaze with her versatile moves to a mashup of Queen Bey's chart-topping hits like "Crazy in Love," "Ego," and "Lose my Breath?" If you're apart of the Beyhive, you should definitely remember, but in case you need a quick refresher, you can check it out here.
In an interview with NBC's Nightly News with Lester Holt, the Columbus, OH native had this to say when asked about the inspiration behind her most recent magnetic floor routine. "The inspiration behind my routine, I believe, is really a reflection of everything that I am as a woman today. I really want to shine a light on Black culture and bring it to the gymnastics world."
Since she is a certified daddy's girl and her father stepped in college with his fraternity, as an ode to his Divine Nine (D9) roots, and to pay homage, she incorporated, stepping into her routine as well!
We love to see all of this Black Girl Magic shine. Her Black excellence is unstoppable, and there's no denying the whole world agrees. Check out her viral two-minute performance here.