If you’re a dancer who uses social media, you’ve almost certainly seen videos counting down to the 2025 “dance Super Bowl.” For those of you who aren’t familiar, these videos are referring to UDA Nationals, a competition marking the end of collegiate cheerleaders and dancers’ seasons. In recent years, thanks to multiple viral performances, the event has garnered attention from dancers and nondancers alike. Last year’s Ohio State jazz performance was iconic enough to inspire multiple Halloween costumes.
In January 2022, LSU’s Tiger Girls went viral with a crisp, synchronized, first-place–winning hip hop performance to “Like A Boy” at UDA Nationals. The win was a redemption a year in the making, since LSU had barred the team from attending the competition in 2021. One of those rare dances that are almost impossible to look away from, the routine is a blend of one-of-a-kind choreography and stellar performance quality. The video soon racked up millions of views on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
Senior Tiger Girl Isabella Avila, a freshman at the time, remembers how quickly things changed for her team. “It erupted a whole new fanbase for us. As soon as we won, we got a lot of attention from our school and had a lot more fans come up to us and ask for pictures.”
The university set aside more resources for the Tiger Girls after their win. They had more time with personal trainers and more options for recovery. Now, just days from their next appearance at UDA Nationals, Avila says that every other video on her TikTok feed is a fan expressing excitement for the Tiger Girls’ 2025 performance.
Freshman Tiger Girl Alyx Gardner recalls watching Like A Boy as a high schooler. She had been planning on majoring in dance during college rather than being on a dance team, but after a screening of UDA Nationals at her dance teacher’s house, she changed her mind. “Especially how it’s blown up in the past few years, it really influenced me to consider a dance team.”
Since then, the Tiger Girls have won another national title in hip hop and placed third in jazz in 2024. This year, their goal is to clinch two consecutive titles in the hip hop category, medal in the jazz category, and step off the mat with pride in their performance. “The program hasn’t seen a back-to-back win. When we feel like we are losing motivation, that’s kind of what keeps us going. We want to be able to bring another title back for the program,” Avila says.
This year is Avila’s final UDA Nationals, and Dance Spirit caught up with her and first-timer Gardner to chat about the competition from both perspectives.
The Life of a Tiger Girl
Avila and Gardner practice three or four times a week for about four hours, and recovery is available to them at any time. On the weekends during football season, the Tiger Girls perform at home games. Once basketball season starts, they also dance at weeknight basketball games. During Nationals season, which lasts from finals week in December until UDA Nationals, they practice every single day, followed by an hour or so of recovery. And don’t forget, they’re full-time students, as well.
Teammate Bonding
At the start of each year, the Tiger Girls are paired up with “sisters,” with one upperclassman and one underclassman to a set. During Nationals season while the dorms are closed, these sister pairs live together while they remain on campus, training daily for the competition. “You just have someone to go home to and have that support from at the end of the day,” says Gardner. And beyond their sister pairing, the team is incredibly close. Avila adds, “We love the dancing, of course, but what we remember most about the year is just the memories we made together.”
A Fourth UDA Nationals for Avila
A young dancer from Beaumont, Texas, Avila has gone from learning the ropes of collegiate dance herself (coming from a studio, she hadn’t yet experienced the level of precision in spacing and movement required to be on the team) to ushering in new team members. Her advice to dancers auditioning for college teams? “Use your resources. Reach out to dancers on different teams and do a lot of research to find the best fit.” She may be taking her own advice soon as she continues to follow her dance dreams as a postgraduate, as a dancer for either the NBA or the NFL. “As I grow up, I’ll always be involved with dance, whether that’s owning a studio or something else. Dance will always be a part of my life.”
Gardner’s First Time on the Mat
“It’s just gonna be very surreal for me, as I was watching ‘Like A Boy’ when I was a sophomore in high school and now I get to be on the team and dance with them,” says Gardner when asked about her upcoming debut on the UDA stage. Heading into the competition, she says she’s feeling a mixture of nerves and excitement. “I gave up a lot to come to Louisiana from Illinois. I just want to make everyone—our coaches and teammates, our choreographers, our alumni, and my family—proud.” What made her so confident in LSU? Gardner did a tour of the campus, and when she met the coaches and her future teammates, she knew that these would be her people for the next four years. Indeed, Gardner’s upperclassmen teammates have heavily shaped her experience this first semester. “They really teach us the true meaning of Tiger Girls culture and what it means to be a Tiger Girl. Besides being our leaders and role models, they’re our friends.”
Quickfire Questions
Dance bag essentials?: The Tiger Girls need their headphones to get in the zone. Although their music tastes vary widely, they can always agree on Drake.
Preshow rituals?: Spitting for good luck and for good turns. These dancers spit on the floor and rub their jazz shoes in it for friction!
Current favorite warm-up music?: Anything related to Wicked, of course
Which teams are they most excited to watch?: Avila says she’s ready to watch Ohio State, University of Minnesota, and Washington State. Gardner will be paying attention to Florida State University, University of Arkansas, and University of Michigan.
Favorite thing about being a Tiger Girl?: It’s all about the teammates. Avila and Gardner agree that the friendships they’ve forged will last a lifetime.
