Sunisa Lee: Redefining Artistic Expression in Gymnastics

Sunisa Lee’s gold-medal performance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics marked a turning point in women’s artistic gymnastics. While her technical prowess on the uneven bars and balance beam earned her a historic all-around title, it was her distinctive blend of grace, musicality, and emotional depth that captured global attention. Lee’s approach has since spurred a quiet revolution in how routines are conceived, choreographed, and evaluated. Coaches, choreographers, and gymnasts now place a renewed emphasis on storytelling within a single floor exercise or beam set, moving beyond the days when difficulty alone dictated success. This article explores how Lee’s artistic style has influenced contemporary gymnastics routines, examining the intersection of technique, individuality, and performance quality that defines her legacy.

To understand the magnitude of this shift, it helps to recall the recent history of the sport. For decades, women’s gymnastics was dominated by a punishing push for higher difficulty values—gymnasts launching ever more complex tumbling passes and release moves, often at the expense of musicality or emotional connection. Legendary athletes like Nadia Comaneci brought a balletic elegance in the 1970s, but as the sport evolved into the 2000s, the Code of Points heavily rewarded acrobatic risk. By the time Simone Biles changed the game with unprecedented power, the pendulum had swung so far toward difficulty that artistry sometimes appeared as an afterthought. Sunisa Lee entered this landscape with a different philosophy: she proved that a gymnast could maintain elite difficulty while simultaneously telling a story through every movement.

Lee’s Tokyo floor routine, set to a vibrant mix of R&B and pop, earned a 14.600 and became an instant classic. Judges and fans alike noted how her eyes, hands, and even her breath seemed to sync with the music. That performance—along with her elegant beam work—demonstrated that artistry is not merely a bonus but a competitive tool. Since then, the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has introduced rule changes that explicitly reward dance elements and musical interpretation. Gymnasts around the world are now studying Lee’s choreography, from her fluid arm waves to her signature head rolls. The result is a generation of routines that feel more personal, more connected, and more memorable than those of the previous decade.

From Hmong Heritage to Olympic Stardom

Early Life and Training

Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Sunisa Lee began training at Midwest Gymnastics Center under coach Jess Graba. Her Hmong heritage and family background instilled a strong work ethic and a deep appreciation for cultural storytelling. Unlike many elite gymnasts who focus exclusively on acrobatics from a young age, Lee’s training incorporated elements of dance and free expression. Her father’s severe accident in 2019 also shaped her emotional resilience—she has spoken about channelling that personal struggle into her floor and beam routines, using movement to process grief and determination. This foundation became evident in her later routines, where every leap, turn, and tumbling pass carried intentional aesthetic weight.

The Tokyo Breakthrough

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Lee delivered a stunning all-around performance that included a 14.600 floor exercise routine set to a mix of R&B and pop tracks. Her ability to convey confidence and vulnerability simultaneously resonated with judges and fans. The routine featured an innovative combination of a double layout with a full twist, but it was the lyrical arm movements and precise head positions that set it apart. This balance of high difficulty and artistic nuance signaled a shift in what the gymnastics community began to value. Following the Games, her performance was cited in FIG committee meetings as an example of how artistry can elevate a routine without sacrificing technical difficulty.

Hmong Cultural Connections

Lee often incorporates elements of her Hmong heritage into her gymnastics. At the 2021 World Championships, her gold leotard featured beadwork inspired by traditional Hmong embroidery. During exhibitions, she has performed small traditional dance steps that pay homage to her roots. This weaving of cultural identity into athletic performance has inspired gymnasts from underrepresented backgrounds to embrace their own heritage as a source of unique artistic expression. It also broadens what “artistic gymnastics” can mean—moving beyond ballet-based aesthetics to include a wider range of movement vocabulary.

The Signature Elements of Sunisa Lee’s Artistic Style

Fluid Transitions and Musicality

Lee’s routines are distinguished by seamless transitions between acrobatic elements and dance. She avoids the abrupt stops that often interrupt a gymnast’s flow, instead using momentum to naturally connect moves. Her musicality is evident in the way she accents beats with a flick of the wrist or a pointed toe, transforming a tumbling pass into a moment of choreographed expression. This attention to rhythm encourages other gymnasts to treat music as more than background noise, selecting tracks that allow for genuine interpretation rather than mere timing. On the balance beam, Lee’s turning sequences merge with dance steps so organically that it becomes difficult to tell where the skill ends and the art begins.

Storytelling Through Movement

Each Lee routine tells a story. On balance beam, her series of leaps and turns often mimic a narrative arc—tension building through a choreographed sequence before resolving in a confident dismount. Her floor routines use a range of facial expressions and body language to convey emotion, from determination to joy. This approach challenges the traditional view of beam and floor as separate disciplines, blending them into a unified artistic experience. For example, during her 2021 floor routine, Lee used a moment of stillness before the final tumbling pass to create dramatic tension, a technique borrowed from contemporary dance.

Costume and Presentation

Lee also pays careful attention to costume design. Her leotards often feature intricate patterns and colors that complement the theme of her routine. At the 2021 World Championships, her gold leotard included beadwork inspired by Hmong embroidery, subtly connecting her cultural heritage to her athletic identity. The leotard was custom-designed with a high neckline and delicate straps that allowed for full range of motion while maintaining a elegant silhouette. This personalization has inspired younger gymnasts to use their attire as another canvas for expression, moving away from generic designs toward custom pieces that reflect individual stories. Several elite-level gymnasts now work directly with designers to create leotards that match their floor routine’s mood or music.

Impact on the Code of Points and Judging Criteria

Artistry Scoring Gets More Weight

The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has historically struggled to define and reward artistry objectively. After Tokyo, discussions about the Code of Points intensified. In the 2022–2024 cycle, FIG introduced updated composition requirements on floor exercise that explicitly prioritize dance elements, artistic interpretation, and use of space. These changes align closely with Lee’s strengths. For example, the current code mandates a minimum number of jumps and leaps that must be performed with full amplitude and rhythmic precision—skills Lee mastered early in her career. Additionally, the “dance series” on beam now requires a minimum of two dance elements with a specific connection value, encouraging fluidity instead of isolated skills.

The official FIG Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Code of Points (2022–2024) now includes explicit language that deductions can be taken when a gymnast fails to demonstrate a clear connection to the musical phrasing or shows lack of expression. While such deductions existed before, they were rarely enforced. Lee’s performances—and the popular and media reaction to them—gave FIG judges a clear benchmark for what high-level artistry looks like.

Influence on Deduction Standards

Judges now penalize gymnasts who fail to maintain expressive posture during tumbling passes or who show minimal connection to their music. The shift has been subtle but measurable. Gymnasts who once relied solely on high difficulty values to win medals now face deductions if their routines lack artistic cohesion. Lee’s success demonstrated that artistry is not a weakness but a competitive advantage when combined with strong execution. For instance, at the 2022 World Championships, two gymnasts with identical difficulty scores were separated by up to 0.1 points in the E-score due to artistic differences—differences that would have been ignored in the previous quadrennium.

New Evaluation Elements

Floor exercise now has a separate “artistic impression” sub-score that assesses choreography, musicality, and expression. This sub-score is derived from the overall E-score but is reported as a separate line on scoring sheets to provide feedback to coaches. Lee’s routines routinely earned near-maximum artistic impression marks, and judges have noted that her use of dynamic arm patterns and varied tempo within the same routine set a new standard. Several national federations have started workshops specifically on the new artistry rules, using clips from Lee’s 2021 and 2023 routines as teaching examples.

How Gymnasts and Coaches Have Adapted

Choreography-Led Training

Many elite training programs have integrated choreography sessions into their weekly schedules. Coaches now collaborate with professional dancers and performance coaches to develop routines that feel authentic to each gymnast’s personality. For instance, NCAA champion Trinity Thomas has cited Lee as an inspiration for her more theatrical floor routines. Similarly, junior gymnasts like Jayla Hang have begun experimenting with narrative-based choreography that mirrors Lee’s approach. At major training centers like the Karolyi Ranch and GAGE Center, weekly dance classes led by former ballet dancers have become mandatory for compulsory and optional level gymnasts.

This shift has also trickled down to club levels. Many gymnastics clubs now offer optional “choreography intensives” where gymnasts work with choreographers to tell a story—for example, a routine about a rising sun or a storm. These workshops emphasize facial expression, arm placement, and the ability to convey emotion within the constraints of a competitive routine. The goal is no longer just to complete skills but to make each skill part of a cohesive performance.

Personal Branding and Routine Selection

Gymnasts are increasingly choosing music that reflects their identity rather than generic high-energy beats. Lee’s use of modern pop and R&B has made genres like soul and hip-hop more popular on the competitive floor. This shift has also extended to social media, where gymnasts share training clips and stories about their routine inspirations. The result is a more engaged fan base that follows athletes not just for scores, but for the artistry they bring to each performance. Gymnasts now commonly post “behind the choreography” videos explaining the meaning behind specific moves—a practice unheard of before the Tokyo Games.

Integration of Dance Technology

Some elite programs have started using motion-capture technology to analyze the artistic components of a routine. By comparing an athlete’s body angles to a reference model—often based on Lee’s recorded performances—choreographers can identify areas where expression needs to improve. Coaches can overlay music beats on video frame-by-frame to ensure that each gesture lands on the correct musical note. This technological approach allows gymnasts to practice artistry with the same data-driven rigor that they apply to tumbling passes.

Notable Routines Inspired by Lee’s Style

Jordan Chiles – 2022 U.S. Championships

Jordan Chiles, Lee’s close friend and former college teammate, debuted a floor routine at the 2022 U.S. Championships that incorporated extended dance sequences and a confident, almost theatrical presence. Her performance featured a series of synchronized head rolls and sharp arm accents that echoed Lee’s influence. Chiles later said in interviews that working with the same choreographer helped her discover a more expressive version of herself on the floor. The routine received high marks in artistic execution, with judges praising her ability to sustain character throughout the 90-second exercise.

Shilese Jones – 2023 World Championships

Shilese Jones’s beam routine at the 2023 World Championships included a choreographed series of turns and leaps that flowed without hesitation. Jones emphasized fluidity over power, using slow, controlled movements to build suspense before her acrobatic series. The routine earned high artistic praise from judges and fans alike, with many drawing direct comparisons to Lee’s work on the same apparatus. Jones’s dismount—a double layout—was preceded by a long chain of expressive connections that seemed to tell a story of gathering momentum before the final release.

Konnor McClain – 2023 Winter Cup

Konnor McClain, known for her powerful tumbling, added softer arm waves and a more deliberate use of the floor space in her 2023 Winter Cup routine. She began with a slow, controlled dance sequence that established mood before launching into a powerhouse tumbling pass. McClain’s musical selection—a cover of a pop ballad—allowed her to vary dynamics, and judges rewarded her with the highest artistic execution score of the competition. McClain explicitly credited Lee’s influence in a post-competition interview.

Challenges to the Artistic Evolution

Resistance from Traditionalists

Not everyone has embraced the shift. Some veteran coaches argue that artistry detracts from the sport’s core focus on athletic difficulty. They worry that subjective scoring will lead to inconsistencies and that young gymnasts may prioritize appearance over acrobatic skill. However, proponents counter that artistry and difficulty are not mutually exclusive—Lee herself has one of the highest difficulty scores on the uneven bars (including the “Lee” skill—a transition from high to low bar named after her), proving that both can coexist. Traditionalists point to the 2022 World Championships where a gymnast with lower difficulty but higher artistic score edged out a more difficult routine; critics called it “artistry over athletics,” while supporters hailed it as a more complete evaluation of performance.

Risk of Superficial Emulation

Another concern is that gymnasts might mimic Lee’s gestures without understanding the underlying technique. Artificially imposed “artistic” movements can appear forced and actually hurt a routine’s credibility. Coaches are now tasked with teaching genuine expression rather than formulaic choreography. This requires a deeper focus on musical interpretation and body awareness, skills that take years to develop. Some gyms have introduced improvisation exercises where gymnasts create spontaneous movements to a piece of music, helping them internalize the connection between sound and motion rather than just copying pre-choreographed arm positions.

Judging Subjectivity

Artistic scoring remains one of the most subjective areas in gymnastics. While the new FIG rules provide clearer guidelines, different judges can still view the same routine differently. At the 2023 Pan American Games, two judges on the same panel differed by 0.5 points in their artistic impression scores for the same floor routine—a discrepancy that would be unthinkable in difficulty evaluation. The gymnastics community is still debating how to calibrate artistic judging without stifling creativity. Some advocate for using multiple judges and averaging scores, while others call for more training videos and reference standards.

The Future of Artistic Gymnastics

Expanding Diversity in Styles

Lee’s influence goes beyond floor routines. On the vault table, gymnasts are experimenting with more expressive landings and arms positions. On the uneven bars, the connect-the-moves approach encourages improvisation between releases and handstands. As more gymnasts from diverse backgrounds enter the sport, the repertoire of artistic styles will grow. Hmong dancers, hip-hop choreographers, and ballet instructors are increasingly involved in routine creation, bringing fresh perspectives. The 2023 Junior World Championships saw routines that drew from Indian classical dance and African dance, a direct result of the global conversation about artistic expression that Lee helped start.

Role of Technology in Artistry Training

Motion-capture software and video analysis tools are now used to help gymnasts refine their artistic elements. Athletes can review their routines frame by frame to check finger strength, toe point, and facial expressions. Coaches can overlay music beats to ensure timing precision. This technology accelerates the learning process, allowing gymnasts to experiment with new moves without sacrificing safety or technique. Some programs even use virtual reality to let gymnasts rehearse their choreography in simulated competition environments, focusing solely on artistic delivery before adding tumbling passes.

Outreach and Fan Engagement

Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok have become stages for gymnasts to share their artistic journey. Lee’s behind-the-scenes content—showing her practicing dance transitions or designing leotards—has demystified the creative process. Fans now appreciate the hours of choreography that go into a single four-minute floor routine. This transparency has increased viewership and inspired a new generation to view gymnastics as both a sport and an art form. Online communities now vote for “best artistic moment” at major meets, and broadcasters have started showing side-by-side comparisons of gymnastics routines and contemporary dance pieces to highlight the artistry.

Conclusion

Sunisa Lee’s artistic style has not merely influenced contemporary gymnastics; it has fundamentally altered the sport’s trajectory. By proving that emotional expression and technical excellence can coexist, she has opened doors for gymnasts to perform authentically. The ripple effects extend from changes in the Code of Points to the way young athletes dream about their own routines—not just as a list of skills but as a story they want to tell. As the sport evolves, Lee’s legacy will remain a touchstone, reminding everyone that the most memorable performances are those that come from the heart.

The challenge now is for the gymnastics community to continue refining how artistry is taught, evaluated, and celebrated. With careful coaching, honest judging, and continued inspiration from athletes like Lee, women’s artistic gymnastics can enter a new era—one where technical brilliance and human expression are inseparable partners on the mat and beam. The next generation of gymnasts, armed with the lesson that a well-told story can resonate as powerfully as a quadruple-twisting double layout, will carry this evolution forward.

Learn more about Sunisa Lee’s impact on gymnastics at the Olympic Museum.

Read NBC Sports’ analysis of Lee’s artistic influence.

USA Today’s Nancy Armour on Lee’s historic gold.