Who is UCLA gymnast Nia Dennis and why is she trending?

PROFESSIONAL gymnast Nia Dennis has been going viral on social media after stunning a crowd with her dance and tumbling routine during a competition.

The athlete performed her routine to a mashup of black artists such as Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar and tailored her show to prominent viral dance moves.

Who is UCLA gymnast Nia Dennis?

Nia Dennis is a professional gymnast who attends the University of California, Los Angeles campus. 

Dennis joined the UCLA gymnastics team in 2017 and has been competing with the school ever since.

The 21-year-old is also a member of the National Team of gymnasts since 2012 and has been representing the US since 2014. 

In January of 2016 she was named the only US female participant at the 2016 Stuttgart FIG World Cup event but tore her ACL a month later, having to forfeit her opportunity.

She has won two gold medals in the NCAA and Pacific Rim championships, followed by two silvers in 2014, and a bronze two years ago.

Why is Nia Dennis’ gymnastics routine going viral?

Dennis’ team was competing against the Arizona State Sun Devils on January 23 in Los Angeles when it was her turn to showcase her moves.

The gymnast performed a one minute and a half routine dedicated to black artists and perfected viral dance moves that people have associated with the songs.

She addressed reporters in a post-competition conference about her choice in her routine, saying: “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.”

When reporters asked her what her favorite part of it was, Dennis replied: “I like the whole routine.”

Judges awarded her with a nearly perfect score of 9.95 out of 10, combining her creativity, dance, and tumbling sequence into it.

Since going viral, Twitter users have congratulated Dennis for her routine, with rapper Missy Elliott replying to UCLA’s clip of Dennis, writing, "Snappin'" with the flame emoji.

Fellow gymnast and Olympic gold medalist Simon Biles chimed in as well and wrote: “Okay (Nia Dennis) do the damn thing girl, this was so fun to watch! keep killing it!”

How long has she been doing gymnastics?

Dennis has been a professional gymnast since 2010.

She first competed in the Covergirl Classic in the 10-11 Hopes Division, placing second.

She then qualified for the Covergirl Classic in the Junior division and obtained a Junior International Elite status in 2011.

Dennis has trained at Buckeye Gymnastics in Westerville, Ohio and Legacy Elite Gymnastics in Naperville, Illinois.

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