Michelle Obama Praises UCLA Gymnast

What do you get when a former member of the USA National Gymnastics Teams scores a 9.95 for a floor routine set to a hip-hop melody? The Answer is #BlackExcellence

Last week UCLA gymnast Nia Dennis went viral after the University tweeted a video of her performance, which she named “The Culture”.

This is what #blackexcellence looks like. @DennisNia does it again! 🔥

📹 @Pac12Network pic.twitter.com/2vxgyTvUCG

— UCLA Gymnastics (@uclagymnastics) January 24, 2021

She starts the routine by hitting “The Whoa” as Kendrick Lamar plays in the background. She continues with an amazing set of flips and twists while Beyonce and Soulja Boy play in the background. The soundtrack then turns to Missy Elliott’s “Pass that Dutch” as Nia salutes the Black Greeks with a mini step routine. After adjusting her crown, Nia finishes strong to Tupac’s “California Love”.

Nia Dennis was floored when love starting to pour in from celebrities like Missy Elliott, Kerry Washington, Common and Janet Jackson.
But when former first lady Michelle Obama tweeted about her “Fierce” performance, Nia was speechless.

i’m speechless… thank you queen👸🏾 https://t.co/ouOGwLnr1G

— Nianation💎 (@DennisNia) January 26, 2021

Through her art, Dennis is centering Black culture and spreading the message of Black Lives Matter, a movement she was unable to participate this summer due to a shoulder injury.

“The subject of Black Likes Matter is so heavy,” Dennis told The Lily.

“It is difficult for people to talk about — and sometimes you have to meet people where they’re at, with a celebration. Every single song is a major Black artist, musician, from different time periods. They had a huge impact on Black culture, which has also had a huge impact on me. So I’m just literally celebrating what they’ve done and having the time of my life.”