It’s been a whirlwind week for Miss America pageant winner Nina Davuluri. Since winning the crown Sunday night, the 24-year-old has taken the traditional dip inside the Atlantic City waters and started her media tour in New York City.
Here are four memorable moments from Davuluri’s recent public appearances.
1. She taught Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan how to dance, Bollywood-style.
Our favorite part is when Strahan starts to freestyle at about 3 minutes in. Later that day, Davuluri taught Extra’s A.J. Calloway how to bhangra. (Inspired to start dancing yourself? Self magazine put together this workout guide.)
2. Davuluri told CNN’s Erin Burnett that she did indeed expect some racist backlash.
“It was something I had experienced when I won Miss New York and I knew that going in if I won Miss America I would experience it on a much larger scale,” she said on CNN. “It was an unfortunate situation, but for the negative tweets I received, I received dozens of positive tweets and support. From not only Indians, but Americans across the country and the world for that matter. It’s been such an honor.
3. She told Good Morning America that she began to cry during her Bollywood dance.
“I think a lot of people saw you perform that Bollywood dance and that was the real turn around moment,” said anchor Lara Spencer.
“I just remember performing my talent and about halfway through I just started crying because it was such an incredible experience being on that Miss America stage performing on live television on ABC, knowing that my friends and family were watching and it was just so meaningful and so powerful.”
4. She paid tribute to another history-making former Miss New York in this interview with NPR.
Well first let me just comment on Vanessa Williams, because she was a former Miss Syracuse, and I was also a former Miss Syracuse. We both went on to win the Miss New York title in two very historic Miss Americas. It was exactly 30 years ago to the date, Sept. 15, we were both crowned. So that’s just so surreal.
Lakshmi Gandhi is a co-founder and editor of The Aerogram. Follow her on Twitter at @LakshmiGandhi or email her at editors@theaerogram.com. Find The Aerogram on Twitter at @theaerogram.
