Category: 2008

All Grown Up

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From the outside, child stardom is a parade of movie premieres, magazine covers and days off school. But what does it feel like from the inside? Christine Sams meets the kids who outgrew the role.

Kate Ritchie had been appearing on Home And Away for more than five years when someone moved in close behind her at a Sydney train station. Ritchie was only 14, but she still remembers the open menace of the fellow teenager. “I got off the train, a girl followed me and she thought it might be funny to tip Coca-Cola all over me,” she says.

It wasn’t the first time Ritchie had been bullied as she travelled home from school. Since the age of eight, she had grown up on a prime-time TV show and become used to regular feelings of unease. “It was never the kids I went to school with,” says Ritchie, now 30, who retired from Home And Away last year. “It was everybody else.”

To other children, perhaps, child stardom looks glamorous – a gateway to fun, privilege and skipping school. But those who have been on the inside tell a real-life story of highs and lows. And even when a poppy is not so tall in Australia, it seems we still like to cut it down.
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Interview with Nikki Webster

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At what age did you become interested in dance & entertainment?

Nikki Webster: I first started going to singing. dancing lessons at the age of 4 or 5… I just loved it… it was such a social thing for me. I was quite shy and it really allowed me to come out of my shell.

Can you describe how it makes you feel to perform?

Nikki Webster: Performing for me is just the best feeling you could ever imagine. Its like I’m on top of the world and I have no worries at all. The adrenaline mixed with the audiences’ appreciation for what you’re doing could not be more rewarding as an entertainer.

What were some of the challenges you faced to become a recognised dance & entertainer?

Nikki Webster: Well I wouldn’t call myself a recognised dancer, I love to dance but I guess I am a singer that dances. I guess one of the challenges that all performers are faced with is the unpredictability of the industry and work available… however we are all sop

What was you inspiration to open a Dance school?

Nikki Webster: To be able to give back to the youth of Australia, also to able to watch and have a hand in developing new Australian talent.

The dance school has combined acting and dancing, is acting important for a dancer?

Nikki Webster: I definitely believe that acting is important for dancers… when you dance you are expressing emotions and I think acting can only help this.

What types of dance do you offer at your dance school?

Nikki Webster: We offer everything, “ALL CLASSES, ALL LEVELS, ALL AGES” that’s our motto- Jazz/funk, tap, ballet, contemporary, singing, drama, musical theatre, hip hop, Latin/salsa, acrobatics.

Can you tell us some funny stories about teaching 3-5 year olds to dance?

Nikki Webster: They’re just so imaginative and unafraid… I think the funniest thing is how they are all obsessed with the mirrors… they love watching themselves it’s soooo cute

Which is your favourite type of dance? Why?

Nikki Webster: Mmm I have many. I really appreciate all forms of dance. I love watching my teachers choreograph and dance their hearts out – they are all so amazing!

Has your Dance School, changed your career objectives?

Nikki Webster: Not really. However it has made me more determined than ever to keep performing and producing music.

What are your aspirations for the future?

Nikki Webster: Hopefully over the next 5 years the school will grow and we will expand. I’d love to open up interstate as well. Musically I hope to keep releasing music and also just developing everything that goes along with that.

What effect do movies like Step Up Two have on you?

Nikki Webster: They are so inspirational. When I leave the cinema all I want to do is get up and dance!

Are the challenges the dancers face in Step Up 2 unique and realistic?

Nikki Webster: I think they are realistic for growing up in that part of America. I guess its hard for me to comment as I grew up in Australia.

Do you hope to get into the dance movie industry?

Nikki Webster: I’d love to do a film that incorporated dancing and acting. I think the filming process would be soooo much fun.

60 Second Quiz
Full Name: Nikki Webster
Nickname(s): Mighty Mouse, Nickway
Star Sign: Taurus
Music Talent: Singer
Favourite Food/ DRINK: Chai Latte
Favourite Film: Centre Stage
Favourite Actor: Ashton Kutcher
Pets: 2 dogs – star and princess
Best Feature: mmm – I am not really sure. I guess I have to say my brown eyes
Worst Feature: where do I start! Hehehe…. I talk too much
Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Madonna
Hobbies/Interests: Movies, games nights with friends
First Job: Cinderella the Pantomime
Are you a Pub, Bar or Club kind: I am a bit of all three depending on what mood I’m in and also what crowd of friends I’m hanging out with. At the moment I am finding myself more of a bar person.
What Can You Never Leave Home Without: My mobile
What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning: How many things I need to get done in the day and to feel accomplished.

Source: Girl.com.au

Famous faces – Nikki Webster

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FACT STUFF

Nicknames: Nikway, Mighty Mouse, Clumsy
Famous for: Sydney 2000 Olympics Opening Ceremony
Birthday: April 30 1987
Star sign: Taurus – I am a true Taurean, very stubborn
Born: Sydney
Lives (suburb): Rose Bay
Colour of eyes: Dark brown
Colour of hair: Blonde
Height: Short
Pets: Two beautiful dogs, Star and Princess
Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend/partner? No, I’m single at the moment
Hobbies: Singing in the car, dancing
More info: I’m probably one of the clumsiest people you’ll ever meet; I always run into things, heh heh

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q: If you could have any magical power, what would it be and what would you do with it?
A: To fly. I would use it to get to places quicker (I hate traffic).
Q: If you won a million dollars, what would you do with it?
A: First, I would buy a house for my parents and me, set up a trust fund for my children (if I had any), then I would give some to my local community and divide up an amount and distribute to charities I am passionate about.
Q: What is your most embarrassing moment?
A: Where do I start? It would probably have to be when I forgot the words to “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” one night during the Wizard of Oz season – I had a mental blank and had to try and make up words until I got back on track … ahhhh.
Q: If you could be anyone in the world for a day, who would it be and why?
A: Oprah – I’d love to spend a day in the life of her and see how she lives, I’d also looooove to host the show for a day.
Q: The most famous person you have met?
A: Michael Jackson.
Q: What is your best piece of juicy celebrity gossip?
A: If I told you that, I’d have to kill you… heh heh!

FAVOURITE STUFF

Clothes: I’m a shoe/boot fanatic.
Food: Thai food – my favourite drink is a chai latte.
Music: I love 1980’s dance music.
Colour: For clothes, my favourite colour is black; my everyday favourite colour is purple.
Movie: Hey Hey It’s Esther Blueburger.
Book: Madonna’s biography
Holiday Destination: Mexico
Website: dancenikkiwebster.com.au
Sport to watch: Tennis and NRL

Source: The Sunday Telegraph
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Thanks to James

Traffic Stopper

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What was your first car? The first car I ever drove was a Kia, which was my family’s car. But the first car I actually purchased was only a couple of months ago and that’s a little Mercedes A160, which is what I’m driving around at the moment. It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment decision. I went to look at cars and came home with one. I didn’t think I’d buy one on the first day. I just thought it was really cute. It’s black, it’s got a sunroof and it’s got a good stereo too, which is good.

What’s your ideal car? I think maybe the next car I’d want to get is a BMW X5. I like being up. Because I’m so short I like a four-wheel-drivey kind of feel. But it’s not going to happen any time soon.

How long have you been driving now? I’m on my green P’s, so I’m just about to go and get my full licence.

Have you been driving long enough to develop a pet road peeve? My problem is that I kind of learnt to drive in LA. I spent the first six months of my driving life living there, so I learned to drive on the other side of the road. Also, everyone moves so quickly there. I guess my pet peeve here is when people ride the brakes and also stop right up the back of you.

Isn’t driving in LA like a near-death experience? I guess most people think it is. But I love driving over there. I find I’m more comfortable driving on the other side of the road than I am here.

In a traffic jam: patient or impatient? Very impatient. The traffic just seems to be getting worse in Sydney, so it’s quite frustrating. It takes up a lot of your time in the day that could be productive.

Do you have a favourite driving song? At the moment I’m loving Don’t Stop The Music [by Rhianna].

Do you have a favourite drive? I find I go on automatic pilot quite a bit, especially driving to my new dance studio. I spend so much time driving from home to the studio, sometimes three or four times a day, so that’s my time to be by myself and listen to music and escape.

Are you sponsored by a car company? I’m not. Can you hook me up?

Owen Thompson

Source: SMH – Drive Life
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It pays to have a great accountant

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Performer Nikki Webster is about to open her own dance studio.

What was your first job?
Being in the pantomime Cinderella in Sydney when I was five.

What did you get paid?
Probably about $200 for the whole season.

Are you a saver or a spender?
I’m a huge spender on friends and family, for myself I’m a saver.

What do you spend your money on?
Other than bills and clothes, most of my money goes on investing in my music and setting up the new dance studio.

How do you save?
I try to set aside a certain amount from each job and put it into a saving account that earns good interest.

What was your worst purchase?
My last laptop. I got rid of it because it had to be reformatted so many times.

Credit cards are: a) great; b) helpful; c) a poor investment; d) work of the devil
B) Helpful

Why?
You don’t have to carry around cash to make big purchases.

Does budgeting work for you?
I think it depends – if I’m budgeting for something I want then yes, but if I’m budgeting just to get by until the next thing comes up then it doesn’t work too well for me.

What’s the best piece of investment advice you have heard?
To believe in what you’re investing into. Also, always have a great accountant.

What’s the best piece of investment advice you have acted on?
To put away a lump sum of money that you don’t need to touch for a period of 6-12 months, into a term deposit that has a good return.

If I was given $20, 000 I would…
Probably deposit on a property for a dance studio so I wouldn’t have to rent.

If I was given $20, 000 I would invest in…
My new album.

Source: The Sun-Herald

Harness the moment

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WHEN 13-year-old Nikki Webster left the stadium as the “Hero Girl” of the now famous ‘flying’ sequence of the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, she had no idea what impact this choreographed moment would play in her life. Although she had already begun her training as a singer and dancer and performed in Les Miserables, The Sound of Music, television commercials and a duet with Michael Jackson, it was the Olympics that threw her into the limelight.

Presumably Webster, like most wannabe young performers, dreamt of one day being a star, but to be handed an opportunity like the Olympics, with its stadium audience of 110, 000 and 3.7 billion global viewers, is good fortune beyond anyone’s wildest imaginings. The trick however, once the dust had settle and everybody moved on to the next Big Thing, was to harness the celebrity and use it, and not become yesterday’s news. As the old adage states: you are only as good as your last job.

After the Olympics Webster was invited to travel all over the world to recreate her role. Then Gordon Frost offered her Dorothy in Wizard of Oz, which ran for 14 months. She also launched a singing career, a clothes range and a make-up line – all before she was eighteen. In 2005, when some might have presumed Webster had fallen into the “former child star” vortex, she came back as a near adult on Channel 7’s Dancing with the Stars, reminding us that she was coming of age and also not afraid to work hard to justify her place in the competition. Her involvement in this show, and some very sassy costume choices, garnered a lot of attention and told us that she was not just multi-skilled but determined to evolve.

This year she can add entrepreneur to her resume. She has opened a peforming arts studio, Dance @ Nikki Webster, with her brother Scott, who is also a music theatre performer. The studio is in Sydney’s Strathfield. Although Webster will not personally be teaching she will oversee the school’s peration with a view to offering young hopefuls the chance to follow their dreams by offering classes with some of the best teachers available in music theatre, ballet, hip hop, tap, singing, drama and acrobatics.

Source: Dance Australia April/May 2008
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Three questions: Nikki Webster

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On a scale of one to 10, how annoying is Rob Mills?
Rob Mills? Annoying? I wouldn’t say he’s annoying. I worked with him quite closely and he’s just a genuine womaniser, really.

Do you ever regret not calling your 2004 release The Best Of Nikki Webster, So Far?
That would have been a much better title to call it, for sure. I don’t think I regret, I don’t really have any regrets, but it kind of would have been good. It kind of summed up the past five years rather than the best of forever.

Most stars wait until they’ve been out of work for 20 years before opening a talent school, how do you explain your efficiency?
I guess it’s a matter of living in the moment and also using the reputation I have with my name to create a performing arts academy. I mean, Johnny Young … wasn’t out of the arts when he opened up his school.

Nikki Webster runs the Dance @ Nikki Webster academy.
For more questions go to http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/stayintouch/

Source: Stay In Touch

Nikki Webster delighted by Big Gay Day role

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ALL-GROWN up Nikki Webster says she’d be happy if she was ever considered a gay icon.

Nikki’s doing a Kylie style gig at The Beat in the Valley on Saturday week where she’ll be joined by professional dancers to launch her first nightclub show.

“I’d be flattered if I was ever a gay icon,” says Nikki.

“They are very dedicated and passionate people.

“Ninety per cent of my male friends are gay so I’d love to be asked to perform at the Mardi Gras.”

Nikki’s show the night before Big Gay Day at The Wickham Hotel, featuring Anthony Callea, raises money for counselling services.

“I’m going to try and get a late flight home on the Sunday so I get to Big Gay Day,” she says.

Nikki will head to Los Angeles later this year to record an album which will launch her adult singing career.

Source: The Courier-Mail

Keeping it in the family

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Drew Sheldrick

You can’t call starlet Nikki Webster and brother Scott’s new project anything but ambitious. Teaming up with your 20-something sibling to manage and develop a totally new dance school in the Inner-West was always going to be fraught with risk, if only in the sense that mixing business with family is always a fragile frontier.

But the lesser known of the two, Scott Webster, says it’s a risk they were willing to take for an initiative they’ve been keen to get off the ground for some time. “We understand there is going to be a lot of trial and error, but you just have to accept what is to come,” he says.”We’re just hoping that as people start to see how good the classes are we will start and build on numbers from there.”

Strathfield-based Webster has had an equally extensive background as his famous sister. The WAPPA graduate performed in musicals such as Les Miserables, Witches of Eastwick and Little Shop of Horrors as well as working behind the scenes on events like the Brewhaha Inner West Youth Week Festival and Strathfield Carols by Candlelight. After launching an entertainment contracting agency in 2006, specialising in child care with theatrical facilities across Australia, he thought himself ready to take on his ideal project.

“Nikki has a huge amount of experience in the industry, she’s been a child-star and we’re hoping that people will be keen to learn from her. But it will be a big effort on both our parts, I’ll be teaching half the classes till it gets off the ground,” he said.

Dance @ Nikki Webster will be located at Parramatta Road, Stanmore, and housed in a converted loft space currently under construction. Webster said it will focus on breeding young stars in singing, dance, drama and acrobatics but won’t neglect adult and more advanced students either.

“We’ll have classes for two-and-a-half year olds to adults and also advanced dancers. There aren’t a lot of places you can go these days that aren’t aimed at beginners. We want professional dancers to be able to come down and have a great class as well. We’re also hoping to appeal to Inner West residents who don’t want to travel a long way to take their kids to dance class,” he said.

One of Webster’s main aims is to get more boys into classes, especially as they are in heavy demand in the industry.

“Thanks to shows like So You Think You Can Dance and new styles like crumping and hip-hop, it’s far more acceptable for boys to dance these days. The hard part is just getting them in here to teach them the technique behind it all. Hopefully with the surge in popularity of these shows the stigma will start and disappear,” he said.

For information on classes and the launch date of Dance @ Nikki Webster visit www.dancenikkiwebster.com.au

Source: Inner West Courier

Olympic star stages bright new venture

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Sarah McInerney

A 20-year-old opening a dance studio might seem premature, but Nikki Webster has the experience to back it up.

Catapulted to stardom at age 13 when she performed at the opening ceremony of the Olympic games, Ms Webster will share her experience with a new generation of performers at Dance @ Nikki Webster in Stanmore. She is opening the studio with her brother Scott, a Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts graduate and experienced teacher.

It will offer subjects ranging from tap and jazz to musical theatre, salsa and acrobatics. These will be for children and adults and held after school hours and all day on Saturdays.

Ms Webster won’t take the weekly classes but will run weekend workshops in areas such as performing on stage and audition techniques.

“Everything I have grown up and learnt by doing the right and wrong thing I will pass on,” she said.

The siblings will also tap into their network of industry professional friends to host special one-off work shops. Ms Webster said she hoped to be a fun and approachable teacher.

“As much as it is fun I hope we challenge the kids,” she said.

The studio is at 2/25 Parramatta Rd, Stanmore.
Details: www.dancenikkiwebster.com.au

Source: The Glebe