UCLA gymnast Nia Dennis is going viral for the second time in her career after wowing judges with her latest floor routine, which fans on Twitter are praising as “Black excellence.” The 21-year-old gymnast helped her college clench a win over Arizona State University on Sunday (Jan. 24) with her routine, which incorporated songs by Kendrick Lamar, Tupac Shakur, Missy Elliott, Soulja Boy and more.
In a video of her routine, Dennis shows off her confident dance moves and expert flips and twists while her teammates scream and cheer her on. Dennis’ routine opened with Lamar’s “HUMBLE” before transitioning into the likes of Missy’s “Work It,” Soulja Boy’s “Crank That” and Tupac’s “California Love.”
Speaking with Los Angeles Daily News, Dennis said her routine was not only a tribute to Black culture, but also the music and culture of Los Angeles. She noted that the stepping portion in her routine was inspired by her father who was in a Greek fraternity.
“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,” she told the outlet. “ I wanted to have a dance party because that’s my personality and of course I had to shout out L.A. because we out here; UCLA.”
Dennis earned praise for the 9.950-scoring routine from Olympic champion Simone Biles, who tweeted, “Do the damn thing girl. This was so fun to watch! Keep killing it!”
Missy Elliott also gave the performance her blessing, writing, “Snappin.”
Last February, the Columbus, Ohio native went viral for a stunning floor routine that was set to songs by Beyoncé. The routine, which included hits like “Crazy in Love” and “Ego,” earned praise from Gabrielle Union, Alicia Keys and Kamala Harris.
See Dennis’ latest viral routine below.