By Cynthia Silva - NBC News
A gymnast at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has wowed millions of people once again after her floor routine celebrating "black excellence" went viral.
Nia Dennis' sensational exercise in a Pacific 12 Conference competition last week has surpassed
10 million views on the social network Twitter
.
The 21-year-old UCLA Bruins (name of college sports teams) senior student, who also went viral for her routine to Beyoncé music last year, performed to a mix of music by black artists like Missy Elliott. , Kendrick Lamar or 2Pac.
It received a near perfect score: 9.95.
Dennis began his exercise by kneeling as he raised his fist in the air
, a tribute to the protest movement led by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
The athlete incorporated viral dances such as the
woah
and the
snap
, as well as the
step
, a tradition among black fraternities and sororities.
Dennis's father, who was in a black frat, sent him a video of him doing the
stepping
dance
while his team decided on the choreography because Dennis wanted to pay tribute to him in his performance.
"Growing up, my father would always come home. I am happy that I was able to take advantage of this time, this year, my senior year, to honor him," she told NBC News.
Social networks continue to applaud the routine.
She has received accolades from celebrities like American Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, hip-hop star Missy Elliott, and former first lady Michelle Obama.
Dennis said he appreciates the recognition and understands the importance of incorporating his identity and culture into his exercises: "Authenticity is huge and it is something I value very much. When you are the best version of yourself, the best of you will come out."
Because although he loves his sport, Dennis admitted that he had a hard time growing up without role models that reflected his style or identity:
"It was very difficult, and especially when you have your coaches telling you that you don't look good or that you're not in shape
because you don't fit in. Those typical gymnastics styles, which are so simple. "
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"Black gymnasts are a bit unusual in this sport.
And black culture is not really recognized or known in gymnastics so it was very important for me to bring that to light, to raise awareness about black culture," he stated.
As for what the future holds for the college student, Dennis hopes her sport will be more inclusive: "I will work to ensure that there is the possibility for all young athletes to play any sport and have the same opportunities."