She's long gone viral and opened the Achieved Gala. What's upcoming for UCLA's Nia Dennis?

Months soon after she finished her UCLA gymnastics profession, Nia Dennis flipped, leaped and danced her way across the iconic Met Gala techniques. A marching band performed guiding her. Cameras flashed.

This viral gymnast however is aware of how to steal a present.

Dennis’ web-breaking Satisfied Gala entrance in 2021 marked the former UCLA star’s changeover into her publish-gymnastics everyday living, a period that could bring in just as considerably focus as her two viral flooring routines. Strolling away from the sport has only broadened Dennis’ affect as she veers into distinct, unpredictable avenues. The 23-calendar year-aged is pursuing dancing, modeling and acting, getting ready to launch her personal business and continuing to advocate for challenges like mental health and fitness recognition.

Nia Dennis and customers of The Brooklyn United Marching Band complete at The Met in September 2021.

(Evan Agostini / Associated Push)

With these a hectic agenda, it’s no question Dennis jokes that it feels as if far more than a 12 months has handed because she graduated from UCLA with a degree in sociology.

“All of my perform was having to pay off,” Dennis said.

Just nine months in advance of sporting a customized blue Stella McCartney system accommodate and diamond internet layer on the pink carpet at the Achieved Gala, Dennis was dominating the world-wide-web with clips of her Black excellence ground plan. The focus — appearances on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and “Inside the NBA,” tweets from Michelle Obama and Missy Elliott, practically 12 million sights on Twitter — felt surreal, even although she went through a identical firestorm 11 months prior with her Beyonce marching band program in 2020.

Gif for Nia Dennis #BlackExcellence story. Shots by Wally Skalij/VFAB.

(Wally Skalij / VFAB)

But none of it in contrast to obtaining a simply call from McCartney. The popular designer stated she desired Dennis to depict her at just one of the most unique functions in the environment. Dennis assumed she was getting Punk’d.

The memorable entrance was planned by McCartney to suit the 2021 topic of “In The us: A Lexicon of Manner.” Executing McCartney’s eyesight was just like studying and performing a floor regime, Dennis claimed.

She worked with UCLA assistant mentor BJ Das to choreograph a simple plan they realized would match any tunes the crimson, white and blue-clad Brooklyn United Marching Band played. Like podium training at the U.S. championships, Dennis got to follow on the stairs with the band times just before the function. Her dad and mom gave her a pep talk just before the effectiveness.

“Once my cue arrived up, I turned it on and it was like nothing at all else even mattered,” Dennis said. “I was just having the time of my lifetime.”

It didn’t cease at opening the most prestigious trend occasion of the 12 months when representing McCartney. The designer later on invited Dennis to sit in the entrance row in the course of her present at Paris Style 7 days and tapped the previous U.S. countrywide team member to be the spokesperson for her “Agent of Kindness” marketing campaign in February.

“She’s portion of a technology of athletes who really do not shy away from utilizing their platforms to press for equality and inclusivity in and outside the house of their sporting activities,” McCartney mentioned in a assertion asserting her newest selection. “Our intention was not only to rejoice athletes’ motion in sport, but the movements they stand for, and Nia definitely represents what it usually means to see over and above you and give back to your group.”

Nia Dennis attends The Met gala celebrating the opening of the “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” exhibition on Sept. 13, 2021.

(Evan Agostini / Linked Press)

Dennis, who grew up painfully shy exterior of the gymnasium, now wants to make a career in front of the digicam. She will take performing lessons when a 7 days, discovering how to categorical emotion as a result of her facial area and entire body movements in new techniques. She goes to dance studios regularly, often dancing for hours straight. Then she dances some additional on your own for her possess pleasure.

Dancing, whether for an artist on tour or in a Television set clearly show, is one of Dennis’ prime goals. She currently bought a taste of it while accomplishing in Simone Biles’ put up-Olympic Gold Around The usa Tour last yr. The celebration, which also featured previous UCLA star Katelyn Ohashi and present UCLA gymnast Jordan Chiles, championed female empowerment and mental overall health in light-weight of Biles’ practical experience at the Tokyo Olympics.

Biles shocked the sports environment by withdrawing from the crew celebration, citing mental health troubles that designed it also dangerous for her to contend. The United States, which include Chiles, won silver with no its top rated star, whose bold stance grew to become a rallying cry through her article-Olympic tour.

The 35-town tour was element concert, component gymnastics exhibition and a total celebration of gals executing anything their way.

“It felt truly great to be a component of that tale, a element of these a drastic modify in our sport, prioritizing mental wellbeing and chatting about psychological overall health and making actually a full clearly show about mental well being,” Dennis mentioned. “I genuinely just felt honored to be there.”

Following Biles’ guide, Dennis has also created it a level to discuss about her have mental overall health journey immediately after gymnastics. She posts updates from her remedy sessions on Twitter. Her new company will emphasis on self-care.

Immediately after relying on her entire body for remarkable feats, Dennis is very pleased to say she’s now using her thoughts extra to form her potential. Her Instagram was once dominated by photos of her dressed in a leotard competing or on the floor during a meet. Now she combined sponsored posts for adidas and Pressed Juicery with own pictures from a family holiday in the Dominican Republic and guiding the scenes movie from Paris Trend 7 days.

“We’re so used to looking at me as a gymnast,” Dennis claimed. “I’m thrilled to deliver other matters.”

But Dennis has not forgotten where it all started off. In a recent put up, she returned to the UCLA observe fitness center, the place she threw the identical double-backs and double-layouts on a trampoline she when executed during competitions. She sticks a challenging aspect aerial on the beam and hits a dab, dropping her head into the crook of her remaining arm with a brilliant smile.

She’s however obtained it.