Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Faith Ward explained the great lengths she goes to in order to perfect her iconic ponytail.
“The ponytail can take a while to do,” Ward, 23, exclusively told Us Weekly on Tuesday, June 23. “This isn’t my real hair. I’ve actually named her Patricia. This is Ponytail Patricia. She is a separate hair extension. So, I have to add that to my hair, obviously get it to a certain height and then I have to make it ‘Thunderstruck’ proof.”
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders perform their most iconic dance routine to AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck,” which features Ward whipping her hair around in dramatic fashion in front of tens of thousands of fans.
“It basically has to stay in place while doing a million hair flips, splits, kicks, the whole lot,” the New Zealand native said.
Ward said it usually takes her “about an hour-and-a-half” to get the ponytail just right, but admitted it might take up to “two hours” if she’s having “a bad pony day.” The dancer is known for sporting a sleek style, with the back section styled in flawless curls.
The DCC stars normally have to wear their hair down and styled in big, voluminous curls for their “hairography” routines, but Ward managed to break tradition. “We need an Ariana Grande moment on the team!” DCC director Kelli Finglass previously said of Ward’s sky-high ponytail.
While she admitted it can sometimes be “difficult” to be known for her hair, she’s learned to “not look at it as much in that way.”
“I don’t think of it as, ‘Oh, she’s just known for that,’” Ward said. “I hope that people don’t see that. It depends on how they word it. But I feel like I’m more than just the ponytail girl. But I also feel honored to be repping that for my country and other girls that feel different and want to stand out.”
More than just a style choice, Ward explained she doesn’t “feel myself dancing with my hair out.”
“Getting the chance to show my diverse, bubbly, crazy personality, I think having my hair off my face works best for me,” she added.
A breakout star on Netflix’s America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Ward acknowledged that season 3 introduced viewers to another fan favorite: her mom, Kate.
“She actually hates photos, cameras, anything like that,” Faith said. “She’s the mom that when you have her birthday come up, you’re digging for an old family photo to post of her because she just hates the cameras. But she is literally stunning. I’m always trying to drag her in. I didn’t really give her an option. I said, ‘Mom, you’re coming on the show.’ The world needs to see how incredibly strong and independent you are.’”
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is available to stream now.
