Nae nae? Yes yes! Video of gymnast's hip-hop infused routine goes viral By Los Angeles Times, adapted by Newsela staff on 03.02.16 Word Count 669 Sophina DeJesus finishes her routine on the balance beam during a UCLA gymnastics team practice on the university's campus. Photo: Katie Falkenberg/Los Angeles Times/TNS Tens of millions of people have seen college student Sophina DeJesus do an amazing gymnastics routine at a contest on Feb. 6. DeJesus did something unusual. She combined gymnastics with hip-hop dance moves like the whip and the nae nae. A video of the routine has gone viral on the Internet. DeJesus is a bubbly, outgoing person. She is a senior at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). At school recently, DeJesus stopped everything to take a picture with two strangers who had seen her perform. Thank you soooooo much and have a great day, she told them. The knockout routine came after many setbacks for DeJesus. At one point, she had to give up her dreams of going to the Olympics. I ve gone through my struggles, DeJesus said. What I ve gone through has made me a better person, and my hard work showed.
Most Gymnasts White, Study Says DeJesus is a woman of color in a sport that still has mostly white athletes. Her mother, Maria Moore, is African-American, and her father, Jerry, is from Puerto Rico. According to a 2007 study by USA Gymnastics, of almost 19,000 gymnasts, nearly three-quarters were white. Fewer than 7 out of 100 gymnasts were black. DeJesus' family is very proud of her. Her grandfather, Webster Moore, is a retired college counselor. He and his family moved from Alabama to Los Angeles in 1955. They were escaping violence done to African-Americans because of racism. Moore went to UCLA, where he became chairman of the Afrikan Student Union. He helped get civil rights leader Angela Davis hired as the first black professor at UCLA. During a protest at the school, he was beaten up. Moore thinks his granddaughter can focus on her sport because of the fights he and other African-Americans faced long ago. His daughter, Maria, graduated from Los Angeles High School, then California State University, Fullerton. She now helps to run the American Postal Workers Union in San Diego. Facing A Few Setbacks DeJesus attracted attention as a gymnast when she was a child. Everyone in California knew about this little fireplug named Sophina, UCLA coach Valorie Kondos Field said. It was hard for DeJesus to make friends with the other young gymnasts, so she quit. When she was about 13 she wanted to try gymnastics again, and joined the USA team. In a junior contest in Japan in 2009, she won a gold medal for her floor routine. Then, she fractured her spine. When DeJesus started at UCLA, Puerto Rico asked her to join its Olympic team. She considered it but did not join them. In the summer before her senior year, she wanted to try gymnastics one more time. She felt ready, but she broke her finger before the season started. After her finger healed, she sprained a muscle. DeJesus took hip-hop classes and spent winter break working with her sister on her new routine. After the break, Kondos Field helped her improve the routine. She "Came To Life" In the moments leading up to the Feb. 6 competition against Utah, DeJesus family was nervous. Then the music started, and the crowd danced. Her real self came to life, Maria Moore said. Though DeJesus didn t win the floor exercise, she scored a 9.925 to help UCLA come from behind. Her team defeated Utah in the meeting of top 10 teams. Soon after, a video of DeJesus performing her routine at the event became a viral hit all over the world.
Last weekend, she earned the team s third-highest score on the floor, a 9.900. She got the top score on the balance beam to help the Bruins defeat Oregon State. DeJesus says she has not read the articles about her ethic background. When people ask, she tells them she is half Puerto Rican and half black, and that she loves it. It s not mainly about one ethnicity doing this sport, she says. She says she wants to inspire people of all races and ethnicities, because we are all equal.
Quiz 1 According to the article, what is one reason why DeJesus has the chance to be on the UCLA gymnastics team? At a young age, she won a gold medal in Japan. Many people in California already knew her. African-Americans, like her grandfather, fought against racism. Her family taught her gymnastics and dance. 2 Why did DeJesus give up gymnastics earlier in life? Her family was worried that she would face racism. She suffered serious injuries and needed time to heal. The floor routines were not interesting enough for her. A coach told her she was not good enough. 3 Read these sentences from the section "She Came To Life." In the moments leading up to the Feb. 6 competition against Utah, DeJesus family was nervous. Then the music started, and the crowd danced. Her real self came to life, Maria Moore said. Which answer choice is CLOSEST in meaning to the sentence "Her real self came to life," in the selection above? She became very lively She was honest with herself She showed her character She was really a dancer
4 Read this paragraph from the section "Facing A Few Setbacks." When DeJesus started at UCLA, Puerto Rico asked her to join its Olympic team. She considered it but did not join them. Which word or phrase could replace "considered it" in the sentence WITHOUT changing the meaning? stayed quiet decided on it acted politely thought about it
Answer Key 1 According to the article, what is one reason why DeJesus has the chance to be on the UCLA gymnastics team? At a young age, she won a gold medal in Japan. Many people in California already knew her. African-Americans, like her grandfather, fought against racism. Her family taught her gymnastics and dance. 2 Why did DeJesus give up gymnastics earlier in life? Her family was worried that she would face racism. She suffered serious injuries and needed time to heal. The floor routines were not interesting enough for her. A coach told her she was not good enough. 3 Read these sentences from the section "She Came To Life." In the moments leading up to the Feb. 6 competition against Utah, DeJesus family was nervous. Then the music started, and the crowd danced. Her real self came to life, Maria Moore said. Which answer choice is CLOSEST in meaning to the sentence "Her real self came to life," in the selection above? She became very lively She was honest with herself She showed her character She was really a dancer
4 Read this paragraph from the section "Facing A Few Setbacks." When DeJesus started at UCLA, Puerto Rico asked her to join its Olympic team. She considered it but did not join them. Which word or phrase could replace "considered it" in the sentence WITHOUT changing the meaning? stayed quiet decided on it acted politely thought about it