Darah Haidet knows what it feels like to perform on the largest stages. She was a part of the LSU Tiger Girls when the dance team claimed national championships in 2022 and 2024.
And at her college graduation this spring, she was waiting to hear if she’d score her next big win: moving to the semifinal round of auditions for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (DCC). Haidet did end up making the team, and the last two months have been a whirlwind of performances at AT&T Stadium. 225 caught up with her to see what the journey has been like from LSU Tiger Girl to Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader.
Quotes have been edited for clarity and brevity.
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Recap the last few weeks for us. What it’s been like so far to be a part of Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders?
It’s been the most amazing experience of my life. Such a growing experience. I feel like I’ve learned a lot about myself as a person and as a dancer throughout this. You can’t even put it into words, truly, what it all means. You represent something so much bigger than yourself, such an iconic team and program. To cheer at AT&T Stadium is such a dream come true. I feel like there really aren’t any lows. It’s all been highs.
What initially drew you to DCC? What encouraged you to try out?
I used to watch the CMT show about the team when I was younger. My dance teacher was always wanting someone to try out; she was obsessed just like I was. She instilled in me that I should go for it. … I asked for a trip to Dallas for my 21st birthday to go to a DCC prep class. I spent my whole senior year training to try out.
I have an amazing support system that is super invested in me and wants to see me succeed. I had a dream and goal in mind— a vision of what I wanted to do in my next chapter in life. That was super motivating.
Going through auditions and training camp to lead up to making the team—what was that journey like?
It was definitely long. I spent most of my senior year doing Zoom classes. I was still in school at LSU and on the dance team, so I couldn’t go to Dallas a ton, which made Zoom really helpful. In the spring after nationals, I could go to Dallas for more in-person classes, which was really beneficial. Pro-style is pretty different from college. You’d think just because it’s game day it’s similar, but they have a lot of differences, so that was really tough for me to pick up quickly. I actually found out that I made it to the semifinal round on the day of my college graduation. The audition process included solo rounds, a DCC-style pom round and then finals. Once they announced we made it to training camp, I was in Dallas for the remainder of the summer.
Describe the feeling you had when you found out you made Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
It was pretty indescribable. You picture a moment like that, you work so hard for an entire summer and years of dance training before that. This is the peak of my dance journey and the biggest dream I’ve ever had. To have that come to fruition and to be able to say that I made the team was definitely surreal.
What does it mean to you to be able to continue your dancing career on this stage?
It means everything. To keep dancing on the biggest stage in the NFL and for the Cowboys was a dream come true. I love to dance. I love game day and the atmosphere. Being at LSU and being a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader—both are huge stages that I’m blessed to be a part of.
Before performing at a game, do you have any pre-game rituals or a specific routine you’ve gotten down to a science yet?
Before we go out for “Thunder,” all of the rookies do a hug since we stay in one tunnel. I do a jump kick that I can’t even explain. I just have to do it. It ensures that I’m ready for the jump split.
What’s training like—how is the time commitment? Has anything surprised you so far?
We have practice every day while we’re in season. We practice from 7 to 10 p.m. We get days off during weeks when there’s no game, depending on how much we have to do. Honestly, what surprised me was the change from practicing in the morning with LSU Tiger Girls to the evening with Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. I think it’s honestly a perk—it’s kinda like dancing after going to school all day (when I was growing up).
You were a part of the LSU Tiger Girls when y’all won the national championship in 2022 and 2024. Describe what those moments were like.
I was on the team when we won in 2022 for “Like A Boy,” and I was a senior on the team when we won with “Smooth Criminal” in 2024. Both national championships were amazing and different in their own way. Obviously to go out your senior year with a win is huge. I just felt really proud and almost like a proud mom in a way. As a captain, the team is like your baby, so you’re almost wanting it more for other people than you do for yourself. I was really proud of what we did and what we accomplished.
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In that same vein, how did your time spent dancing at LSU prepare you for DCC?
It was absolutely one of the best things I could’ve done to prepare. Dancing in Death Valley is obviously on a smaller scale than AT&T Stadium. Death Valley was such an amazing environment with fans who were super invested, and I feel like that’s the same way Cowboys fans are. We have people there to watch us just like how they watch the football team. Both have a respected audience.
What it was like to perform “Thunderstruck” for the first time?
That was amazing. We did it at the meet-the-team event, where our family and friends can come watch us right before the first preseason game. That’s the first time we’re all in uniform dancing as a team, so there’s a lot leading up to that moment. I am not a crier at all, but as soon as the music came on and we got set, tears filled my eyes. I could barely see the whole routine, because I was literally in tears the whole time. I told my mom afterward that I was trying to look for her but couldn’t see through my tears. I vividly remember the whole experience. It was surreal. Definitely a moment I won’t forget.
What advice can you offer any young dancers who dream of being part of DCC one day?
I teach dance, so connecting with younger dancers is super important and something I really cherish. Just to believe in yourself first and wholeheartedly go for your dreams. If you would’ve told me at 8 years old that I would be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, I wouldn’t have believed you. You have to have that belief in yourself that you can accomplish anything and then have the work ethic to back it up. No dream is too big.