I may be biased due to my history as a gymnast [1], but there's no sport quite like gymnastics. The high-flying flips and twists may look easy to the average bystander — if you're doing it right, then it should appear effortless — but it takes skill, concentration, and power to pull off moves that defy gravity (I mean, Simone Biles's triple-double [2] is no cakewalk). Out of the four women's events, the most entertaining to watch by far is floor, especially when routines feature popular songs we know and love. It gives the performances a boost of energy and draws the crowd in. And, what better way to do that than with some bold-as-can-be Beyoncé?
Ahead, check out floor routines set to Queen Bey hits such as "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," "Formation," and "Partition." These routines are fun, full of personality, and, like Beyoncé, undeniably irreplaceable. Note: most of the following come from college gymnasts through the years because it's unlikely to hear well-known tracks in elite-level competitions. Hold onto your flawless selves, and get in formation to watch!
Nia Dennis's 2020 Beyoncé Floor Routine For UCLA
Remember this viral floor routine that still has the internet buzzing? (You know it's viral when Ellen reaches out on Twitter [4].) Nia is a junior at UCLA, and her instrumental performance pays homage to Beyoncé's Homecoming album. There are hints of "Lose My Breath" by Destiny's Child, "Ego," and "Crazy in Love," among other songs. This particular routine, which ends with Nia pretending to crown herself, earned her a 9.975 [5] — just short of perfection.
Kennedy Baker's 2016 Beyoncé Floor Routine For Florida Gators
Kennedy is a former Florida Gator gymnast (she graduated in 2018). She's a sophomore in this video and gets a perfect 10 with a floor routine that's set to "Run the World (Girls)" through her first two tumbling passes! That huge pass in the beginning? Yeah, it's called an "Arabian double pike" and she nails it.
Hallie Mossett's 2017 Beyoncé Floor Routine For UCLA
"Formation," "Partition, and "Single Ladies" — that's what you'll hear in Hallie's floor routine from 2017, her last year on the UCLA team. Her opening pose proves she means business (I mean, why else would you showcase your splits like that?!), and her landings are spot on. With Queen Bey choreography and flare, Beyoncé would be proud!
Derrian Gobourne's 2020 Beyoncé Floor Routine For Auburn
Derrian, an Auburn University sophomore, also crowns herself [6] in this Beyoncé-filled routine from the current NCAA season. Some of the songs integrated into this routine, which, like Nia's, have bits of Homecoming, include popular hits like "Flawless," "End of Time," and "Countdown." Here, Derrian ends with an explosive double pike like a true queen.
Katelyn Ohashi's 2019 Floor Routine With Beyoncé Upgrade For UCLA
When Katelyn debuted her second floor routine of the 2019 UCLA season with all-female artists [7] last March, she added in Beyoncé's "Run the World (Girls)." She received a 10.00 for this particular personality-filled performance, and you'll see her dance along to Queen Bey leading up to her last tumbling pass. We miss your infectious smile on the competition floor, Katelyn!
Elizabeth Price's 2018 Beyoncé Floor Routine For Stanford
When Elizabeth was a senior at Stanford in 2018, she put together this floor routine set to dance music, one of which is "Run the World (Girls)." Beyoncé's song makes up about half of Elizabeth's routine, and she opens with a sky-high double layout.
Rebeca Andrade's 2016 Beyoncé Floor Routine For Brazil
It's rare for you to hear popular songs like these in floor routines on the world stage. Why? It's less about entertainment and more about racking up enough points to out-perform your competitors. That's not to say these routines are boring; the level of difficulty is astonishing, even more so than collegiate gymnastics (you can read up more about the difference here [8] and here [9]). However, Rebeca, a Brazilian gymnast, wowed the world when she showcased a Beyoncé floor routine at the 2016 Rio Olympics [10]. Note: that video was unavailable, but this is the same routine from that June.
