Move over Beyoncé, the internet is getting in formation for Nia Dennis’ sensational performance. UCLA’s Nia Dennis celebrates after competing on the beam during Wednesday’s meet against Brigham Young. clinched UCLA’s season-opening win on Jan. 23, another appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,”. The original list of possibilities for Dennis’ routine included around 85 songs, said Das, who helped choreograph all of UCLA’s routines this year. Ross, Samantha Watch UCLA Gymnast Margzetta Frazier's Janet Jackson floor routine video that's going viral. Like how NFL scouts have used stereotypes to evaluate players — white players are more often described as cerebral and hard-working while Black players tend to be described more on their physical attributes — gymnasts of color often fight against similar barriers. Freshman Mac Etienne goes from prep school to early riser for UCLA. Nia Dennis placed her hands on her hips as she sashayed onto the floor. White gymnasts used the N-word despite pleas from Black teammates to stop. Instead of leading chants at marches or holding a sign, the 21-year-old communicated with tumbling passes as sentences and dance moves as punctuation. “We wanted to do it right and we wanted her voice to be heard.”. The senior’s celebrated routine from Saturday’s competition in Los Angeles kicked off with Kendrick Lamar’s song “Humble.” UCLA gymnast Nia Dennis' incredible floor exercise shows off her power and energy - YouTube Junior Nia Dennis is having arguably the best season of her career for the No. Almost everyone she spent time with there was white. His daughter, who started gymnastics at 4 years old, struggled to find the same place to express herself. Before she became a two-time viral sensation, Dennis was just trying to inspire those close to her, none more important than her younger sister. 99. “I just know that I have to stay true to myself,” Dennis said. Skip To Main Content. UCLA’s softball team begins its season Friday as a big favorite to repeat as national champion. 4 Stars & Up & Up; 3 ... Womens UCLA Women's Gymnastics 2020 V-Neck T-Shirt. There is no additional information to display. Tratz, Sekai Dennis, Norah BJ Das was the mastermind behind Dennis’ routine, but UCLA’s volunteer assistant coach and choreographer can thank Dennis’ father Casey for one critical element. “I’m not even going to pretend like I didn’t go through this phase when I was younger: I did used to want to be white.”. Glenn, Grace That woman celebrated Black culture in a 90-second floor routine that took over social media with more than 10 million views in the first weekend. Girl Scout Day: Purchase the discounted Girl Scout package which includes a UCLA Patch and pre-meet troop experience by CLICKING HERE and using promo code GIRLSCOUT Gym Days: Purchase $1 tickets for your club gymnastics studio by CLICKING HERE and using the promo code GYMDAYS. What the Bruins did on floor made quite an impression. But with a medley of songs from influential Black artists ready to blare over the speakers, she was also proud. 411.5k Followers, 896 Following, 2,317 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from @uclagymnastics With her muscular legs, Dennis was accused of not having “clean” lines in her gymnastics during her elite career, as if the curves of her muscles distracted from the perfect split of a leap or a straight handstand on the bar. Girls' Fashion; Girls' Tees; Boys' Novelty Clothing; Boys' Fashion; Sports Fan Shop; Dance Apparel See All 15 Departments. Customer Review. After UCLA’s season was canceled last year because of the pandemic, Dennis used the down time to undergo shoulder surgery to correct a torn labrum she was competing on for five years. “Now that’s what I call fierce,” the former First Lady wrote on Twitter. “You’re a star!”. “I was honestly scared for my life,” Dennis said. The message was still perfectly clear. Das. Dennis soars above her teammates’ heads in her first tumbling pass, tucking her knees toward her chest into a tight ball as she flips twice in the air. Watching the protests unfold this summer was emotional for Dennis. $24.99 $ 24. She previously covered UCLA, professional soccer and preps for the Southern California News Group. Black gymnasts from several schools including Alabama, Florida and UC Davis spoke to ESPN in 2020 about the racism they faced in the sport in the midst of the country’s racial reckoning following the George Floyd protests. Regular Price: $21.00. On Sale For: $15.75 *UCLA New Arch Gymnastics T-Shirt - Blue. She was nervous and excited. : UCLA softball team determined to ‘face everything and rise’ in 2021. Kocian, Savannah UCLA's Katelyn Ohashi during a gymnastics meet on Jan. 4. After weeks of planning and practicing, the UCLA senior gymnast was finally ready to unveil her latest floor creation. She wished her hair didn’t stick up. “I’m not trying to sound any type of way, but we celebrate each other’s individuality and our differences and our cultures 100% and this is honestly the best place I could have gone to find myself.”. UCLA gymnast Nia Dennis celebrated Black culture in a floor routine performance over the weekend that has the internet doing flips. When retired NBA star Dwyane Wade introduced himself before asking a question on TNT’s “Inside the NBA,” Dennis sheepishly covered her face in disbelief. Lyrics are not allowed in floor routines, but Dennis still wanted to say something with her musical selection. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter protests that unfolded last summer, Dennis wanted to add her piece to the social justice conversation. UCLA’s Nia Dennis competes in a floor exercise routine inspired by the Black Lives Matter protests that unfolded last summer during a meet against Brigham Young on Wednesday. The senior didn’t want to leave without honoring the place that helped shape her. See more ideas about gymnastics, ucla, female gymnast. Even Elliott got in on the action commenting "Snappin" with a fire emoji on the UCLA gymnastics Twitter page. Nia Dennis put “Black Girl Magic” on full display for UCLA gymnastics. But this final piece stands out because Dennis is not playing a character. Skip To Main Content. With her second viral floor routine in as many years, Dennis made another appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” and did interviews via Zoom on “The Today Show” and NBC. Her chin was held high above a glamorously decorated blue leotard with jewels covering her collarbone like layers of diamond necklaces. Andres, Nia It seems fitting she will leave UCLA performing simply as herself. Sanchez, Nicole The official Gymnastics page for the UCLA Bruins. Stars like Missy Elliott, Simone Biles and Janet Jackson gave her shoutouts on Twitter. Thuc Nhi Nguyen covers college sports and the NBA for the Los Angeles Times. Standing on the floor with her hand over her heart waiting for the music to begin, Dennis was ready to stand out more than ever. Mar 9, 2014 - Explore Ashley Casey's board "UCLA gymnastics", followed by 113 people on Pinterest. Her shoulders were relaxed. Only after believing the words herself did Dennis realize the importance of having her mother’s influence. Sakti, Mercedez *UCLA Gymnastics Disc T-Shirt - Black. Regular Price: $21.00. The statements weren’t meant with malice, but Dennis just wanted to stop being the topic of every conversation. Lashbrooke, Kendal “I’m so glad to know there are other athletes who look like me who can see my tape and I was able to go before them and pioneer in the sport,” Anthony said during the interview. Regular Price: $22.00. “A bunch of comments like that would always kill my confidence in who I wanted to be,” she said. Teammates are excited what UCLA forward Mac Etienne will do on the court during the Bruins’ trip to the Pacific Northwest. Glenn, Felicia Years ago, there were moments when Dennis, then a promising Olympic hopeful, wished she wasn’t Black. Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter. Hano, Paige They helped her win junior national titles on vault and floor in 2014. “I got back to my roots,” Dennis said. In 2012, 73% of Division I female gymnasts were white, according to data from the NCAA, 7% were Black and 20% were “other.” In 2019, the percentage of white gymnasts fell to 65% while Black representation grew to 9%. While recovering, she couldn’t partake in marches or protests. 42,298 talking about this. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Comforte, Dom So, yeah, viral. UCLA gymnast Nia Dennis goes viral again with #BlackExcellence routine. UCLA announces enhancements to Jackie Robinson Stadium. Toronjo, Pauline Casey, a pharmacist, pledged the historically Black fraternity while searching for a place to fit in at the large university. “Gymnastics is a subjective sport and there’s also this body type, which we’ve been trying to change the culture of it. Gymnastics was her main social circle. The official 2021 Gymnastics Roster for the UCLA Bruins. All rights reserved. FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon. Kendrick Lamar’s “Humble” leads the mix. “I know who I am as a woman and a Black woman at that.”. UCLA fell on the road 81-73 to Washington State on Thursday and lost a share of the top spot in the Pac-12 standings. Not only did the UCLA Gymnastics tweet received more than 41,000 likes and 11,000 retweets, but a quote tweet from Twitter user Wells P got nearly 300,000 likes and 80,000 retweets. Flatley, Margzetta “Not hearing those words has a bigger impact than hearing those words because you don’t even think that way [if you don’t hear them],” Dennis said.