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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Perth Now
28 minutes ago
- Perth Now
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The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Eric Bana leads picturesque murder mystery Untamed
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While the series is not exactly prestige TV - the writing is a little obvious and the characterisations are simple - Untamed's short episode count and beautiful location shots make for an enjoyable weekend binge. Bana is engaging in the lead, and Santiago in particular provides great support. Daredevil actor Wilson Bethel also delivers a strong performance, as does Rosemary DeWitt as Turner's ex-wife, Jill. After what feels like an eternity, we are finally back with YA TV's best love triangle - Belly, Jeremiah and Conrad. This third and final season kicks off shortly the summer following the events of season two, but quickly jumps forward three years. Belly is now in her final year of college, Jeremiah (who is still her boyfriend) is just about to finish up his college career, and Conrad is off being a med student. The series immediately brings you back to the bright, dramatic vibes it crafted so well in its first two seasons. 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The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
The Block builds into an Aussie TV success story
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Now, even with all the extra digital options those free-to-air stations have on top of the plethora of streaming services, after 20 seasons The Block still manages to grab plenty of eyeballs. It's also spawned a number of adaptations in other countries, though has yet to break into the United States - the home of reality TV. As is always the case, the 21st season includes something different - all five teams are given the same house frames with the same floor plans. And as they're lined up next to each other, the only early advantage is in working out whether to choose one on either end or in the middle. The series also ramps up the product placement, in the form of shopfronts rather than just the usual shots of branded power tools or the free cars they drive. Based on this first episode the stand-out team is going to be Robby and Mat. While they have next to no reno experience, they're undoubtedly pros at entertaining for the camera. Michael Theo has come a long way in just a few years. He caught our attention in the lovely dating series Love on the Spectrum, where he was the standout. He managed to parlay that surprising rise in profile into an acting career, with an appearance in kids' TV series Hardball. What followed was a pretty big deal for any actor, let alone a new one - landing the title role in a TV series. Theo plays Austin Hogan, who lobs up on the doorstep of children's book author Julian Hartswood with news that he is Julian's son. The show was popular enough that the ABC commissioned a second season, which kicks off tonight. Theo clearly doesn't take his good fortune for granted; he more than carries his weight in the series up against some far more established actors. At first glance, this series seemed like it was going to be a whole series made up of those aerial shots that scroll through your smart TV if you leave it on for too long. And it is like that in some respects. 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As is always the case, the 21st season includes something different - all five teams are given the same house frames with the same floor plans. And as they're lined up next to each other, the only early advantage is in working out whether to choose one on either end or in the middle. The series also ramps up the product placement, in the form of shopfronts rather than just the usual shots of branded power tools or the free cars they drive. Based on this first episode the stand-out team is going to be Robby and Mat. While they have next to no reno experience, they're undoubtedly pros at entertaining for the camera. Michael Theo has come a long way in just a few years. He caught our attention in the lovely dating series Love on the Spectrum, where he was the standout. He managed to parlay that surprising rise in profile into an acting career, with an appearance in kids' TV series Hardball. What followed was a pretty big deal for any actor, let alone a new one - landing the title role in a TV series. Theo plays Austin Hogan, who lobs up on the doorstep of children's book author Julian Hartswood with news that he is Julian's son. The show was popular enough that the ABC commissioned a second season, which kicks off tonight. Theo clearly doesn't take his good fortune for granted; he more than carries his weight in the series up against some far more established actors. At first glance, this series seemed like it was going to be a whole series made up of those aerial shots that scroll through your smart TV if you leave it on for too long. And it is like that in some respects. A spin-off of a US series that ended in 2019, the cameras take to the sky (though sometimes just metres off the ground) to give us a different look at our country. This first episode focuses on the country's east coast - which it tags the Pacific Coast, despite including shots of the not-very-coastal-at-all city of Canberra. Mark Coles Smith is on hand to provide the narration, which puts some story on the bones of the show so it's not just a series of pretty pictures. This is one of the success stories of Australian television. It launched way back in 2003 when the only option other than the free-to-air channels was Foxtel. Now, even with all the extra digital options those free-to-air stations have on top of the plethora of streaming services, after 20 seasons The Block still manages to grab plenty of eyeballs. It's also spawned a number of adaptations in other countries, though has yet to break into the United States - the home of reality TV. As is always the case, the 21st season includes something different - all five teams are given the same house frames with the same floor plans. And as they're lined up next to each other, the only early advantage is in working out whether to choose one on either end or in the middle. The series also ramps up the product placement, in the form of shopfronts rather than just the usual shots of branded power tools or the free cars they drive. Based on this first episode the stand-out team is going to be Robby and Mat. While they have next to no reno experience, they're undoubtedly pros at entertaining for the camera. Michael Theo has come a long way in just a few years. He caught our attention in the lovely dating series Love on the Spectrum, where he was the standout. He managed to parlay that surprising rise in profile into an acting career, with an appearance in kids' TV series Hardball. What followed was a pretty big deal for any actor, let alone a new one - landing the title role in a TV series. Theo plays Austin Hogan, who lobs up on the doorstep of children's book author Julian Hartswood with news that he is Julian's son. The show was popular enough that the ABC commissioned a second season, which kicks off tonight. Theo clearly doesn't take his good fortune for granted; he more than carries his weight in the series up against some far more established actors. At first glance, this series seemed like it was going to be a whole series made up of those aerial shots that scroll through your smart TV if you leave it on for too long. And it is like that in some respects. A spin-off of a US series that ended in 2019, the cameras take to the sky (though sometimes just metres off the ground) to give us a different look at our country. This first episode focuses on the country's east coast - which it tags the Pacific Coast, despite including shots of the not-very-coastal-at-all city of Canberra. Mark Coles Smith is on hand to provide the narration, which puts some story on the bones of the show so it's not just a series of pretty pictures.
