Gymnast Nia Dennis deserves praise for her "Black Excellence" routine

Plenty of celebrities have also taken to their social media to shower her in well-earned praise, including the likes of Janet Jackson, Missy Elliott, Kerry Washington, Michelle Obama and Simone Biles, who certainly knows a thing or two about viral gymnastics routines.

Taking to the floor, Dennis can be seen walking onto the stage in a shimmering blue leotard where she drops to one knee with her fist raised in the air moments before Kendrick Lamar's "Humble" begins to play.

"And, of course, I had to incorporate a lot of parts of my culture" she said. "I went into rhythmic gymnastics because I didn't feel like artistic gymnastics let you DANCE enough. and the establishment (then, at least) wanted to keep it that way.so this? absolutely rules", the ESPN personality tweeted on Sunday afternoon.

Nia Dennis's former UCLA gymnastics teammate Katelyn Ohashi also reached millions of likes with her own mashup of artists like Ike & Tina Turner, Earth, Wind & Fire, and a combination of the infamous Jackson family. The Guardian reported that Ohashi's mashup of 60s, 70s, and 80s music, alongside her incredible talent, earned her the flawless score of ten. The clip had over 40 million views in less than 24 hours. Currently, the 23-year-old gymnast holds 19 world titles and 25 medals, being the most laureate of all time in this sport. HITC notes that her parents, "Casey and Deetra, saw the gymnastics potential in her when she was young because she was always playing around on monkey bars".

This isn't the first time that Nia has gone viral, either. Dennis's 2020 homecoming floor routine featured a selection of Beyoncé songs, like "Crazy In Love" & "Ego". "Vice President Kamala Harris added: "@DennisNia is ending #BlackHistoryMonth the right way - by showcasing her Black excellence. The senior was cheered on by her coaches and teammates, making the video even more fun.

During the team's season opening win against Arizona State, Dennis who is a senior at UCLA, brought "Black Excellence" to the floor with a high energy routine that landed her with a almost ideal score, 9.95 out of 10 and a viral video to match. Download our newest episodes now!