Guilt, ambition and a ponytail: Australian dancer makes the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader squad
Before being handed her pair of white boots and star-embroidered vest for a spot in one of the world's most coveted cheerleading squads, the 22-year-old from Perth was booking dance gigs on cruise ships.
Speaking from her new bedroom in Dallas, Ward recalls watching the first season of Netflix's docuseries America's Sweethearts from a cruise bunk bed, dreaming about one day being part of the squad.
'I don't think I will ever fully process the fact that I'm a DCC. It feels like a dream, and I'm still waiting to wake up from it,' Ward told this masthead.
Thousands auditioned for one of six rookie spots offered this year – the smallest intake in history, according to Ward, who was born in New Zealand but raised in Western Australia. She becomes the third Australian and first New Zealander to do so.
After auditioning, Ward battled through a gruelling training camp, watching new friends – who had trained their whole lives for a spot in the squad – get sent home each day.
'I almost felt like, do I belong in this position?' she said. 'Because this has been just as much my dream as it probably was theirs, but they have thought about this since the day they could walk.'
'Some of these girls would give their right arm to be here. So would I – I have worked just as hard … even though from the get-go, it wasn't like 'I want to be a DCC'. I wanted to make it in the dance world and do something that makes me happy. This happened to be it.
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The Advertiser
36 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
'Just so surreal': the moment this Aussie was asked to tour with Ozzy
"Do you want to go on tour with Ozzy Osbourne?" It is a phone call Chris Rand is still shocked he received, even though it happened 27 years ago. Back then, in 1998, the singer and bass player for metal band Segression was busy working as a tattoo artist in Wollongong, and his wife Karen was heavily pregnant with the couple's first child. But, one phone call from Ozzy's wife and manager Sharon Osbourne changed everything. "We had a tattoo shop in Corrimal at the time, and the phone rang, and it was actually Sharon Osbourne, wanting to speak to my mum because my mum managed the band," Chris recalls. "I was personally invited from Sharon and Ozzy." Segression had already toured with US metal bands Machine Head and Fear Factory, and those bands, who were friends with Ozzy, recommended Segression to him as a support act. But, with Karen pregnant, Chris worried he'd miss the birth of his first child. So, after much discussion, she was induced and had baby Kiara five days before the tour started. Chris is among a legion of fans and music industry insiders who are reeling after the death of Ozzy Osbourne on July 23 following a battle with Parkinson's disease. It was just weeks after the 76-year-old performed with metal pioneers Black Sabbath for the last time at a star-studded charity benefit show titled Back to the Beginning in the United Kingdom. "I've got shivers, I've got tears, I've got everything this morning. He was probably one of the nicest people I've ever met," Chris said through tears. "I'm devastated, absolutely devastated. I've never really felt much with a celebrity death before, but because of the personal connection that I had with him ... because I toured with him and met him and knew him as a person briefly, it really hit hard, to be honest." At Segression's first gig on that tour back in 1998, the pressure on them was enormous as they hit the stage before Ozzy, who was known as the Prince of Darkness. People have "paid a lot of money to go and see Ozzy Osbourne" and back then crowds were well known to "give a little bit of curry" to support bands. "I walked out on stage and it was, I wouldn't say completely hostile, but it was certainly not warm," Chris remembers. "I walked up to the microphone and before the band started, I got them to light up the crowd and I said, 'I know that everyone's here to see Ozzy, but we're a young Australian band that's been given an opportunity, so we think it's appropriate to start our set showing Ozzy Osboune what Australia is like. So, Aussie Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi,' and then we're into it. "The crowd, they turned completely on its head, and we had an amazing tour ... it was just so surreal." During another moment on tour, Ozzy was chatting to one of Segression's roadies who had a "full body suit of tattoos". "Ozzy was just so fascinated. He said, 'Can I see you without your shirt on again?'. He took his shirt off and he said, 'it's like a road map to your life'," Chris said. "And then, funnily enough, just after that tour, Ozzy went back home and got his arms tattooed, full sleeves." The tour and getting to meet Ozzy were so significant in Chris' life that he still holds dear the backstage pass he wore each night during the tour. "My Dad [Dave] was a massive Black Sabbath fan, so it's like one of my life's proudest moments when I got to introduce my dad [to Ozzy]," Chris said of a moment on that tour. "My dad's quiet at the best of times, so he just sort of walked up and shook hands, and that was about it. They just stared at each other." He recalls everyone was starstruck around Ozzy at that time, it was the height of the Osbourne's reality television show, The Osbournes, and Ozzy was a massive star thanks to his Black Sabbath days and then successful solo career. Ozzy's reputation is huge - he was the lead singer of Black Sabbath until he was kicked out in 1979 after a long run of erratic drink and drug-fuelled behaviour, and when he bit the head off a bat onstage, he made rock history. But, underneath all the bravado, the rumour and the reality TV show, Chris simply remembers Ozzy as just being a good bloke. "When you got to be in his presence, you just felt like you were the only one there. He just had that magic about himself," he said. "He's done so many things that he's notorious for, but the person that I met was just funny and warm. "He's probably the biggest rock star on the planet, and I don't think he ever thought of it that way. He just liked playing music and enjoying himself. I don't think he was dwelling on his success at all." "Do you want to go on tour with Ozzy Osbourne?" It is a phone call Chris Rand is still shocked he received, even though it happened 27 years ago. Back then, in 1998, the singer and bass player for metal band Segression was busy working as a tattoo artist in Wollongong, and his wife Karen was heavily pregnant with the couple's first child. But, one phone call from Ozzy's wife and manager Sharon Osbourne changed everything. "We had a tattoo shop in Corrimal at the time, and the phone rang, and it was actually Sharon Osbourne, wanting to speak to my mum because my mum managed the band," Chris recalls. "I was personally invited from Sharon and Ozzy." Segression had already toured with US metal bands Machine Head and Fear Factory, and those bands, who were friends with Ozzy, recommended Segression to him as a support act. But, with Karen pregnant, Chris worried he'd miss the birth of his first child. So, after much discussion, she was induced and had baby Kiara five days before the tour started. Chris is among a legion of fans and music industry insiders who are reeling after the death of Ozzy Osbourne on July 23 following a battle with Parkinson's disease. It was just weeks after the 76-year-old performed with metal pioneers Black Sabbath for the last time at a star-studded charity benefit show titled Back to the Beginning in the United Kingdom. "I've got shivers, I've got tears, I've got everything this morning. He was probably one of the nicest people I've ever met," Chris said through tears. "I'm devastated, absolutely devastated. I've never really felt much with a celebrity death before, but because of the personal connection that I had with him ... because I toured with him and met him and knew him as a person briefly, it really hit hard, to be honest." At Segression's first gig on that tour back in 1998, the pressure on them was enormous as they hit the stage before Ozzy, who was known as the Prince of Darkness. People have "paid a lot of money to go and see Ozzy Osbourne" and back then crowds were well known to "give a little bit of curry" to support bands. "I walked out on stage and it was, I wouldn't say completely hostile, but it was certainly not warm," Chris remembers. "I walked up to the microphone and before the band started, I got them to light up the crowd and I said, 'I know that everyone's here to see Ozzy, but we're a young Australian band that's been given an opportunity, so we think it's appropriate to start our set showing Ozzy Osboune what Australia is like. So, Aussie Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi,' and then we're into it. "The crowd, they turned completely on its head, and we had an amazing tour ... it was just so surreal." During another moment on tour, Ozzy was chatting to one of Segression's roadies who had a "full body suit of tattoos". "Ozzy was just so fascinated. He said, 'Can I see you without your shirt on again?'. He took his shirt off and he said, 'it's like a road map to your life'," Chris said. "And then, funnily enough, just after that tour, Ozzy went back home and got his arms tattooed, full sleeves." The tour and getting to meet Ozzy were so significant in Chris' life that he still holds dear the backstage pass he wore each night during the tour. "My Dad [Dave] was a massive Black Sabbath fan, so it's like one of my life's proudest moments when I got to introduce my dad [to Ozzy]," Chris said of a moment on that tour. "My dad's quiet at the best of times, so he just sort of walked up and shook hands, and that was about it. They just stared at each other." He recalls everyone was starstruck around Ozzy at that time, it was the height of the Osbourne's reality television show, The Osbournes, and Ozzy was a massive star thanks to his Black Sabbath days and then successful solo career. Ozzy's reputation is huge - he was the lead singer of Black Sabbath until he was kicked out in 1979 after a long run of erratic drink and drug-fuelled behaviour, and when he bit the head off a bat onstage, he made rock history. But, underneath all the bravado, the rumour and the reality TV show, Chris simply remembers Ozzy as just being a good bloke. "When you got to be in his presence, you just felt like you were the only one there. He just had that magic about himself," he said. "He's done so many things that he's notorious for, but the person that I met was just funny and warm. "He's probably the biggest rock star on the planet, and I don't think he ever thought of it that way. He just liked playing music and enjoying himself. I don't think he was dwelling on his success at all." "Do you want to go on tour with Ozzy Osbourne?" It is a phone call Chris Rand is still shocked he received, even though it happened 27 years ago. Back then, in 1998, the singer and bass player for metal band Segression was busy working as a tattoo artist in Wollongong, and his wife Karen was heavily pregnant with the couple's first child. But, one phone call from Ozzy's wife and manager Sharon Osbourne changed everything. "We had a tattoo shop in Corrimal at the time, and the phone rang, and it was actually Sharon Osbourne, wanting to speak to my mum because my mum managed the band," Chris recalls. "I was personally invited from Sharon and Ozzy." Segression had already toured with US metal bands Machine Head and Fear Factory, and those bands, who were friends with Ozzy, recommended Segression to him as a support act. But, with Karen pregnant, Chris worried he'd miss the birth of his first child. So, after much discussion, she was induced and had baby Kiara five days before the tour started. Chris is among a legion of fans and music industry insiders who are reeling after the death of Ozzy Osbourne on July 23 following a battle with Parkinson's disease. It was just weeks after the 76-year-old performed with metal pioneers Black Sabbath for the last time at a star-studded charity benefit show titled Back to the Beginning in the United Kingdom. "I've got shivers, I've got tears, I've got everything this morning. He was probably one of the nicest people I've ever met," Chris said through tears. "I'm devastated, absolutely devastated. I've never really felt much with a celebrity death before, but because of the personal connection that I had with him ... because I toured with him and met him and knew him as a person briefly, it really hit hard, to be honest." At Segression's first gig on that tour back in 1998, the pressure on them was enormous as they hit the stage before Ozzy, who was known as the Prince of Darkness. People have "paid a lot of money to go and see Ozzy Osbourne" and back then crowds were well known to "give a little bit of curry" to support bands. "I walked out on stage and it was, I wouldn't say completely hostile, but it was certainly not warm," Chris remembers. "I walked up to the microphone and before the band started, I got them to light up the crowd and I said, 'I know that everyone's here to see Ozzy, but we're a young Australian band that's been given an opportunity, so we think it's appropriate to start our set showing Ozzy Osboune what Australia is like. So, Aussie Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi,' and then we're into it. "The crowd, they turned completely on its head, and we had an amazing tour ... it was just so surreal." During another moment on tour, Ozzy was chatting to one of Segression's roadies who had a "full body suit of tattoos". "Ozzy was just so fascinated. He said, 'Can I see you without your shirt on again?'. He took his shirt off and he said, 'it's like a road map to your life'," Chris said. "And then, funnily enough, just after that tour, Ozzy went back home and got his arms tattooed, full sleeves." The tour and getting to meet Ozzy were so significant in Chris' life that he still holds dear the backstage pass he wore each night during the tour. "My Dad [Dave] was a massive Black Sabbath fan, so it's like one of my life's proudest moments when I got to introduce my dad [to Ozzy]," Chris said of a moment on that tour. "My dad's quiet at the best of times, so he just sort of walked up and shook hands, and that was about it. They just stared at each other." He recalls everyone was starstruck around Ozzy at that time, it was the height of the Osbourne's reality television show, The Osbournes, and Ozzy was a massive star thanks to his Black Sabbath days and then successful solo career. Ozzy's reputation is huge - he was the lead singer of Black Sabbath until he was kicked out in 1979 after a long run of erratic drink and drug-fuelled behaviour, and when he bit the head off a bat onstage, he made rock history. But, underneath all the bravado, the rumour and the reality TV show, Chris simply remembers Ozzy as just being a good bloke. "When you got to be in his presence, you just felt like you were the only one there. He just had that magic about himself," he said. "He's done so many things that he's notorious for, but the person that I met was just funny and warm. "He's probably the biggest rock star on the planet, and I don't think he ever thought of it that way. He just liked playing music and enjoying himself. I don't think he was dwelling on his success at all." "Do you want to go on tour with Ozzy Osbourne?" It is a phone call Chris Rand is still shocked he received, even though it happened 27 years ago. Back then, in 1998, the singer and bass player for metal band Segression was busy working as a tattoo artist in Wollongong, and his wife Karen was heavily pregnant with the couple's first child. But, one phone call from Ozzy's wife and manager Sharon Osbourne changed everything. "We had a tattoo shop in Corrimal at the time, and the phone rang, and it was actually Sharon Osbourne, wanting to speak to my mum because my mum managed the band," Chris recalls. "I was personally invited from Sharon and Ozzy." Segression had already toured with US metal bands Machine Head and Fear Factory, and those bands, who were friends with Ozzy, recommended Segression to him as a support act. But, with Karen pregnant, Chris worried he'd miss the birth of his first child. So, after much discussion, she was induced and had baby Kiara five days before the tour started. Chris is among a legion of fans and music industry insiders who are reeling after the death of Ozzy Osbourne on July 23 following a battle with Parkinson's disease. It was just weeks after the 76-year-old performed with metal pioneers Black Sabbath for the last time at a star-studded charity benefit show titled Back to the Beginning in the United Kingdom. "I've got shivers, I've got tears, I've got everything this morning. He was probably one of the nicest people I've ever met," Chris said through tears. "I'm devastated, absolutely devastated. I've never really felt much with a celebrity death before, but because of the personal connection that I had with him ... because I toured with him and met him and knew him as a person briefly, it really hit hard, to be honest." At Segression's first gig on that tour back in 1998, the pressure on them was enormous as they hit the stage before Ozzy, who was known as the Prince of Darkness. People have "paid a lot of money to go and see Ozzy Osbourne" and back then crowds were well known to "give a little bit of curry" to support bands. "I walked out on stage and it was, I wouldn't say completely hostile, but it was certainly not warm," Chris remembers. "I walked up to the microphone and before the band started, I got them to light up the crowd and I said, 'I know that everyone's here to see Ozzy, but we're a young Australian band that's been given an opportunity, so we think it's appropriate to start our set showing Ozzy Osboune what Australia is like. So, Aussie Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi,' and then we're into it. "The crowd, they turned completely on its head, and we had an amazing tour ... it was just so surreal." During another moment on tour, Ozzy was chatting to one of Segression's roadies who had a "full body suit of tattoos". "Ozzy was just so fascinated. He said, 'Can I see you without your shirt on again?'. He took his shirt off and he said, 'it's like a road map to your life'," Chris said. "And then, funnily enough, just after that tour, Ozzy went back home and got his arms tattooed, full sleeves." The tour and getting to meet Ozzy were so significant in Chris' life that he still holds dear the backstage pass he wore each night during the tour. "My Dad [Dave] was a massive Black Sabbath fan, so it's like one of my life's proudest moments when I got to introduce my dad [to Ozzy]," Chris said of a moment on that tour. "My dad's quiet at the best of times, so he just sort of walked up and shook hands, and that was about it. They just stared at each other." He recalls everyone was starstruck around Ozzy at that time, it was the height of the Osbourne's reality television show, The Osbournes, and Ozzy was a massive star thanks to his Black Sabbath days and then successful solo career. Ozzy's reputation is huge - he was the lead singer of Black Sabbath until he was kicked out in 1979 after a long run of erratic drink and drug-fuelled behaviour, and when he bit the head off a bat onstage, he made rock history. But, underneath all the bravado, the rumour and the reality TV show, Chris simply remembers Ozzy as just being a good bloke. "When you got to be in his presence, you just felt like you were the only one there. He just had that magic about himself," he said. "He's done so many things that he's notorious for, but the person that I met was just funny and warm. "He's probably the biggest rock star on the planet, and I don't think he ever thought of it that way. He just liked playing music and enjoying himself. I don't think he was dwelling on his success at all."
The Advertiser
37 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Knights cheerleaders headed to Las Vegas in a big NFL and NBA event
Four Newcastle Knights cheerleaders will travel to Las Vegas for a big event with fellow dancers from the NFL and NBA. Squad director Alexandra Tsambos, who will also attend, said "we'll be representing the Knights in Vegas". "We're very excited," Ms Tsambos said. The Knights contingent depart for Vegas on Thursday. It's the first time Knights cheerleaders have travelled to the US for a cheerleading event. "It's to gain experience in the professional cheerleading world in the US and bring it back to Australia," Ms Tsambos said. "It opens up doors for the girls around here." She aimed to create "a pathway for anyone who has a dream to become a professional cheerleader in the US". The Pro Action Dance event will involve hundreds of cheerleaders from across the US participating in two days of "intensive training". "I've been speaking to the organisers. It's nice to be invited over to be a part of it," Ms Tsambos said. "We're going over there to learn routines, get experience and dance in front of some big-name choreographers." The Miami Dolphins cheerleaders director will be there. "I get to meet her," Ms Tsambos said. With the Knights playing North Queensland in Vegas in March, the cheerleaders will get a feel for the city ahead of the footballers. "We'll put the Knights brand out there," Ms Tsambos said. The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have revived interest in the activity with a behind-the-scenes Netflix docuseries. The streaming series, titled America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, follows the highs and lows of auditions, training camp and the NFL season. "Hype around the cheerleading world has grown. It's nice everyone is starting to recognise it again in a better light," Ms Tsambos said. A global purge of cheerleaders has occurred in professional sport, amid political correctness and concerns about sexism. Ms Tsambos has long maintained that Knights cheerleaders aren't just dancers, but ambassadors for the club. They do charity and corporate work and connect with brands and fans, including youngsters. The Newcastle Herald previously reported that Ms Tsambos had been at the helm of the Knights cheerleaders for a decade. Amid a period of social change, she changed the name to the Newcastle Knights Dance Squad and allowed males to join. She started a junior squad and watched it grow to about 100 kids. "It goes to show the community support we have behind us," Ms Tsambos said at the time. "I've shown how we could evolve and adapt into the new world," she said "We've definitely gone past all those typical stereotypes you used to hear about 10 years ago. "Now we have the social media world and acceptance of people for who they are and what they do." Four Newcastle Knights cheerleaders will travel to Las Vegas for a big event with fellow dancers from the NFL and NBA. Squad director Alexandra Tsambos, who will also attend, said "we'll be representing the Knights in Vegas". "We're very excited," Ms Tsambos said. The Knights contingent depart for Vegas on Thursday. It's the first time Knights cheerleaders have travelled to the US for a cheerleading event. "It's to gain experience in the professional cheerleading world in the US and bring it back to Australia," Ms Tsambos said. "It opens up doors for the girls around here." She aimed to create "a pathway for anyone who has a dream to become a professional cheerleader in the US". The Pro Action Dance event will involve hundreds of cheerleaders from across the US participating in two days of "intensive training". "I've been speaking to the organisers. It's nice to be invited over to be a part of it," Ms Tsambos said. "We're going over there to learn routines, get experience and dance in front of some big-name choreographers." The Miami Dolphins cheerleaders director will be there. "I get to meet her," Ms Tsambos said. With the Knights playing North Queensland in Vegas in March, the cheerleaders will get a feel for the city ahead of the footballers. "We'll put the Knights brand out there," Ms Tsambos said. The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have revived interest in the activity with a behind-the-scenes Netflix docuseries. The streaming series, titled America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, follows the highs and lows of auditions, training camp and the NFL season. "Hype around the cheerleading world has grown. It's nice everyone is starting to recognise it again in a better light," Ms Tsambos said. A global purge of cheerleaders has occurred in professional sport, amid political correctness and concerns about sexism. Ms Tsambos has long maintained that Knights cheerleaders aren't just dancers, but ambassadors for the club. They do charity and corporate work and connect with brands and fans, including youngsters. The Newcastle Herald previously reported that Ms Tsambos had been at the helm of the Knights cheerleaders for a decade. Amid a period of social change, she changed the name to the Newcastle Knights Dance Squad and allowed males to join. She started a junior squad and watched it grow to about 100 kids. "It goes to show the community support we have behind us," Ms Tsambos said at the time. "I've shown how we could evolve and adapt into the new world," she said "We've definitely gone past all those typical stereotypes you used to hear about 10 years ago. "Now we have the social media world and acceptance of people for who they are and what they do." Four Newcastle Knights cheerleaders will travel to Las Vegas for a big event with fellow dancers from the NFL and NBA. Squad director Alexandra Tsambos, who will also attend, said "we'll be representing the Knights in Vegas". "We're very excited," Ms Tsambos said. The Knights contingent depart for Vegas on Thursday. It's the first time Knights cheerleaders have travelled to the US for a cheerleading event. "It's to gain experience in the professional cheerleading world in the US and bring it back to Australia," Ms Tsambos said. "It opens up doors for the girls around here." She aimed to create "a pathway for anyone who has a dream to become a professional cheerleader in the US". The Pro Action Dance event will involve hundreds of cheerleaders from across the US participating in two days of "intensive training". "I've been speaking to the organisers. It's nice to be invited over to be a part of it," Ms Tsambos said. "We're going over there to learn routines, get experience and dance in front of some big-name choreographers." The Miami Dolphins cheerleaders director will be there. "I get to meet her," Ms Tsambos said. With the Knights playing North Queensland in Vegas in March, the cheerleaders will get a feel for the city ahead of the footballers. "We'll put the Knights brand out there," Ms Tsambos said. The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have revived interest in the activity with a behind-the-scenes Netflix docuseries. The streaming series, titled America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, follows the highs and lows of auditions, training camp and the NFL season. "Hype around the cheerleading world has grown. It's nice everyone is starting to recognise it again in a better light," Ms Tsambos said. A global purge of cheerleaders has occurred in professional sport, amid political correctness and concerns about sexism. Ms Tsambos has long maintained that Knights cheerleaders aren't just dancers, but ambassadors for the club. They do charity and corporate work and connect with brands and fans, including youngsters. The Newcastle Herald previously reported that Ms Tsambos had been at the helm of the Knights cheerleaders for a decade. Amid a period of social change, she changed the name to the Newcastle Knights Dance Squad and allowed males to join. She started a junior squad and watched it grow to about 100 kids. "It goes to show the community support we have behind us," Ms Tsambos said at the time. "I've shown how we could evolve and adapt into the new world," she said "We've definitely gone past all those typical stereotypes you used to hear about 10 years ago. "Now we have the social media world and acceptance of people for who they are and what they do." Four Newcastle Knights cheerleaders will travel to Las Vegas for a big event with fellow dancers from the NFL and NBA. Squad director Alexandra Tsambos, who will also attend, said "we'll be representing the Knights in Vegas". "We're very excited," Ms Tsambos said. The Knights contingent depart for Vegas on Thursday. It's the first time Knights cheerleaders have travelled to the US for a cheerleading event. "It's to gain experience in the professional cheerleading world in the US and bring it back to Australia," Ms Tsambos said. "It opens up doors for the girls around here." She aimed to create "a pathway for anyone who has a dream to become a professional cheerleader in the US". The Pro Action Dance event will involve hundreds of cheerleaders from across the US participating in two days of "intensive training". "I've been speaking to the organisers. It's nice to be invited over to be a part of it," Ms Tsambos said. "We're going over there to learn routines, get experience and dance in front of some big-name choreographers." The Miami Dolphins cheerleaders director will be there. "I get to meet her," Ms Tsambos said. With the Knights playing North Queensland in Vegas in March, the cheerleaders will get a feel for the city ahead of the footballers. "We'll put the Knights brand out there," Ms Tsambos said. The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have revived interest in the activity with a behind-the-scenes Netflix docuseries. The streaming series, titled America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, follows the highs and lows of auditions, training camp and the NFL season. "Hype around the cheerleading world has grown. It's nice everyone is starting to recognise it again in a better light," Ms Tsambos said. A global purge of cheerleaders has occurred in professional sport, amid political correctness and concerns about sexism. Ms Tsambos has long maintained that Knights cheerleaders aren't just dancers, but ambassadors for the club. They do charity and corporate work and connect with brands and fans, including youngsters. The Newcastle Herald previously reported that Ms Tsambos had been at the helm of the Knights cheerleaders for a decade. Amid a period of social change, she changed the name to the Newcastle Knights Dance Squad and allowed males to join. She started a junior squad and watched it grow to about 100 kids. "It goes to show the community support we have behind us," Ms Tsambos said at the time. "I've shown how we could evolve and adapt into the new world," she said "We've definitely gone past all those typical stereotypes you used to hear about 10 years ago. "Now we have the social media world and acceptance of people for who they are and what they do."
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Jenna Ortega feels 'incredibly misunderstood' due to Hollywood success
Jenna Ortega feels "incredibly misunderstood". The 22-year-old actress is one of the brightest young stars in Hollywood but is uncomfortable with the public making "assumptions" about her personality. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Jenna said: "I think that's part of my struggle with that side of the job, because you feel incredibly misunderstood. "It's almost to a point where it feels like your name doesn't belong to you. I almost don't even resonate with it anymore. "I hate assumptions, and a big part of this job is that people are going to make assumptions about you." The Wednesday star feels that too much information about performers is revealed to the world nowadays. She said: "We know too much. "And the people feel entitled to those bits and pieces of your life where if they were put under the same microscope, they wouldn't feel nearly as comfortable." Jenna explained that she is particularly frightened of people calling out her name in the street and hears "vile things" at times. The star said: "Somebody shouting your name in public is insane. Sometimes I feel uncomfortable when it's grown men approaching me. "Like, you don't stop for somebody because you're going to be late for something and they're calling you a **** w**** in front of your mother. It's horrific." However, Ortega revealed that she can go out in public "unseen" if she wishes. The Beetlejuice Beetlejuice star said: "Sometimes you go out, and it's a mess. And other times, I could be walking for hours and no one gives a s***. If you really want to go unseen, you can do it." Jenna has worked closely with legendary horror filmmaker Tim Burton on the second season of Netflix's Wednesday and is impressed with the "polite" way the Edward Scissorhands director goes about his work. She said: "He's so polite. He knows everybody's names. He trusts the team. "When I initially started working with him, I would ask him for notes and critiques. He wouldn't give any. It's not because he wasn't trying to be helpful, but he was allowing me the space to find what was going to work for me. "It created a greater confidence in myself. I think he really brings out the best in people and allows them to think out of the box, so you want to get weirder and weirder with it. It's such a joy when someone brings that out of you."
