Internet Celeb of the Month: Sarah Scott

Back at the beginning of May, comic book fans (and fans of beautiful women in general) were treated to an amazing photo shoot by Adam Jay's Superhero Photography.  Jay has done quite a few impressive shoots (including an incredibly crazy/cute Harley Quinn and a really cool medieval version of Batman), but his Wonder Woman photo shoot was absolutely stunning.  

Not only did the model perfectly portray the Amazon princess, but the poses were great and the costumes looked spectacular...even the recent (and awful) redesign!

Below are a few of my favorite shots from the photo shoot.  You can also click here to see the rest.

I'll wait...

For the obsessive types, Adam Jay was kind enough list the model's name: Sarah Scott.  A small bit of internet research uncovered that in addition to her beauty, Scott was about as close to a real life super hero as someone can get.

Scott is a pole dance/fitness expert.  This basically means that she can make you fall in love with her, then kill you if needed with her superhuman strength. Observe:

Combine all of this with a lovely accent:

...and you've officially won over the hearts and minds of Geek Nation along with showing some huge star potential.  As if on cue, Sarah then went out and won Miss Pole Dance UK 2012.

It also turns out that Sarah is incredibly cool and was more than happy to do an interview with us here at RamblingBeachCat.com.  So I got out my lasso of truth and asked the real life Wonder Woman about her recent fame, her very unique career, and what the future holds for the Princess of the Amazon and England's current Queen of the Pole.

RBC: So what brought you to the point that you were doing a photo shoot in a very comic accurate Wonder Woman costume?

SS: I have had a number of pole dance shoots with the lovely Mr. Adam Jay. He had mentioned he was starting a new project doing superhero photography and asked if I would like to be a part of it – which of course I did!

RBC: Have you ever done cosplay before?

SS: No this was my first time – was a lot of fun – the costume was amazing, made by Hermes Terceiro. I'm not sure I could have come even close if I had attempted it by myself!

RBC:  Okay, time for the moment of truth.  All of us comic book nerds will still love you either way, but are you actually a Wonder Woman and/or scifi/fantasy genre fan?

SS: Well I have definitely heard of her, who hasn’t :) 

But since doing the shoot I have learned a lot more about her.  I’m a closet geek, and doing this shoot has let me come out a little!


RBC: What type of geek stuff are you into?


SS: I love a good superhero movie.  We all went to see the 'Avengers' movie after this shoot, so I had a full on superhero day. I'm open to any recommendations :)

RBC: There's been a bit of a push to get you into some type of Wonder Woman fan film.  Would that be something you would ever want to do?

SS: Adam Jay has got a lot of projects in the pipeline and this might just be one of them! I would love to get involved – these things take a lot of funding though so hopefully everyone would get behind it.

The fan film website is now live at www.indiegogo.com/wonderwoman if you want to donate to the project to help make it happen.  

You can also visit www.wonderwomanfanfilm.com for updates.

RBC: Have you ever done any type of acting before?


SS: Not anything like this, so it will be an exciting and challenging project!

RBC: And it will most likely still be better than the recent failed Wonder Woman television pilot would have been. Back in the real world, you are a pole fitness instructor, correct?

          

SS: That I am!

    RBC: What got you into it?

SS: I kind of fell into it; my friend asked if I would go with her to pole classes and I fell in love. It ticks all the boxes – fun, challenging, and gets you fit. I decided I had to do it full time, so I did my research, got qualified, and haven’t looked back since.  

    RBC: Were you heavily involved in dance or fitness before?

SS: No, I had no dance or fitness background other than enjoying the gym; nothing to this level.

RBC: Do you find that a lot of people have a negative view of pole fitness due to it's association with stripping?

SS: A few years ago when I started, I found that people were a lot more shocked when I told them my job.  But now I’m finding people are a lot more accepting as pole dance and fitness is being shown more positively in the media – like in talent shows and documentaries. 

There are also so many pole studios about now and more gyms are running regular classes. You still get the negative comments now and then, but its mainly from people who don’t understand or haven’t seen what pole dancing is nowadays. Once they see it they usually change their mind.

RBC: How do pole fitness regimens compare with more standard forms of exercise like weight lifting or running?

SS: Pole fitness covers the whole body. Where as weight lifting is strength and toning and running is cardio based, pole dance covers all these bases as well as flexibility. 

I mainly train just pole, but I have started adding in running, weight training, and using TRX and kettle bells to get the most from my training.

RBC: As an instructor, what is the most challenging thing to teach to beginners?

SS: I’m not sure there is any one thing that is challenging as such. Pole dance is a fantastic confidence booster!  I encourage them to learn at their own pace, but at the same time I'm pushing them to challenge themselves. 

There is a big misconception that you have to have upper body strength before you even start, which isn’t true! A lot of it is getting people to get over the stigma attached to the activity or their insecurities and give it a go; then more than likely they get hooked.

Members of Sarah Scott's advanced class...and one little boy trying not to stare at his mom's hot friends.

RBC: What is the age range of folks that you see getting involved in pole fitness?

SS: At my studio its mainly around 25-45 but we take 16+ and have students in their 60’s!

RBC: You are not just a pole instructor, but also an owner at Studio 22.  I saw that you offer children's zumba classes; how the heck that does not devolve into mass chaos?

SS: We have another instructor that takes the kids classes for us, we also run ballet fitness, street dance, zumba, freestyle fitness yoga and flexibility classes – it’s a lot of work but we have great students who make it all worth it.

Amy Williams is the other owner.  You can find our page on facebook here: 

Studio 22 Dance on Facebook

RBC: You also compete in pole dancing competitions as well; how competitive is the field?

SS: The pole industry loves a good competition! They are still very friendly and social events.

The standard of competition is getting so high on a national and international level – its crazy to think what the standard will be in a few years!  There are professional competitions like Miss Pole Dance UK as well as Amateur competitions (like the South West Amateur Pole Championships where I judged recently) which gives students an opportunity to get involved.

RBC: Speaking of 'Miss Pole Dance UK,' congratulations on winning the 2012 title! 

Had winning this been a goal of yours for a long time?

SS: I've always wanted to compete in this competition! I wanted to showcase my style and what I do and really enjoyed it. 


I also won the Miss Pole Dance UK 2012 Doubles category with my doubles partner Bendy Kate. They had a Mr Pole Fit category, too, so if any guys out there want to compete next year then get practicing!

RBC: What type of audiences do you get at these events (besides the obvious male admirers)?

SS: Mainly friends and supporters of the competitors – it’s not male led at all! The pole community supports all the events and many people travel all over the country to watch.

RBC: Do you see pole fitness growing as a sport that more people are participating in and/or watching?

SS: I think so; it’s already grown so much in last few years. There are a lot of ‘sub sections’ appearing in pole – some prefer it to stay sexy and focus on the dance side while other prefer the more gymnastic/fitness side of pole. I hope it continues to grow in all areas and not become too confined by people trying to define it.

RBC: How do you come up with routines?

SS: I find a song and listen to it over and over again until I start to visualize moves and then piece it together. It can take a while or all fall in to place really quickly!

RBC: What is the absolute worst wipe out that you have ever had?

SS: I’ve never had a ‘wipe out’ as such! I try and be as safe as I can as you are normally hanging upside down high off the ground – you don’t really want to drop off!

RBC: Have you ever suffered any injuries?

SS: Only pole ‘kisses’ (bruises from skin contact on the pole), but I only get them when I’m intensively training a routine. They are more like trophies of your hard work than a negative!

RBC: Since your turn as Wonder Woman, you've gained quite a few fans...and it's a safe bet that there were probably a few creepers in the bunch.  What's the oddest/most bizarre fan interaction you've had?

Besides this guy...

SS: Can’t say I’ve had anything too random! I’m just pleased people liked the shoot and took the time to comment.

RBC: Speaking of that, time to break make a lot of guys very sad; Sarah has a boyfriend who is also into pole fitness...and could totally beat you up, so abandon your dreams of going on a date with Wonder Woman now. 

How did you two meet?

SS: I was working in a local pub where he used to come in a lot and it just clicked.

We've been together nearly 6 years. I have to note he’s not a pole dancer – he can just jump on the pole and do moves that take me months to get!

RBC: A lot of people associate pole dancing with feminine sensuality. Besides the obvious muscle and strength benefits, what draws a man to pole fitness?

SS: I think it depends on the guy! Obviously I can’t speak for them all, but the guys who are getting in to it now are finding it challenging, fun, and seeing the benefits just like the girls. 

It is also so diverse – you can pole how you want to pole! Some are transferring from other areas like Chinese pole, circus, acrobatics, parkour, street dance/breakdancing, and bringing really exciting things to the industry.

RBC: When you're not portraying the perfect version of Wonder Woman or doing impossibly athletic feats, what do you like to do in your down time?

SS: Haha – resting! Or chilling out with my bulldog.  

Most of the time I training and teaching – I love my job!

RBC: Anything you'd like to say to all your fans out there?

SS: Thank you for supporting us and get behind the superhero photography projects that are being released this year – they will be awesome!

If you’d like more information on shoots, performances or workshops I'll be doing, please follow my facebook page.

RBC: And thank you, Wonder Woman! 


We'll leave you now with her winning performance earlier this month from the Miss Pole Dance UK 2012 Competition.  She will be representing the Brits at the World Championships in November. Good luck, Sarah!