Darah Haidet's roots are purple and gold.
"From before I can remember, my family has been purple and gold, everything LSU,” says Darah Haidet, an LSU senior who was born and raised in Hammond, Louisiana.
Her journey to LSU and the Tiger Girls dance team was not just a dream but a path she set for herself in the eighth grade, dedicating her high school years to training and driving to Baton Rouge for classes.
"When I made the team, it was surreal," Darah recalls, reflecting on the momentous achievement during COVID-era auditions. Despite the pandemic, Darah and her team overcame those challenges and clinched national championships in 2022 and 2024. Their championship dances went viral. People worldwide memorized the choreography and posted videos re-creating their 2024 UDA national championship hip-hop routine on social media.
“It’s just been amazing to get the recognition that our team deserves, and dance in general as a whole, to elevate that space in a way. We put in as many hours, if not more, than any sports team on this campus," Darah says. “We support everyone. So, while we're at nationals, we have to cheer at basketball games. We have to cheer at baseball or football. We do promotions and appearances. So, anything that this university needs for us to support, we do it wholeheartedly and commit to that time and being excellent at that.”
