Catch Knicks/Pats Alum Sara Mitchell in New TV Show This Summer

Exclusive Interview: Sarah Mitchell (The Dance Scene)
Popstar.com

There’s nothing Sarah Mitchell loves more than performing. As a first-rate dancer, she has appeared in mega-hit films such as Burlesque, Music and Lyrics, and Did You Hear About The Morgans. Now, she’s set to appear in a Brand New reality series on E! titled The Dance Scene. The show, which is a Ryan Seacrest Production, will focus on the day-to- day life of dancers as they work with a famous Pop superstar’s illustrious choreographer.

Sarah has also begun an acting career, and hopes to parlay her talent into larger roles. She is devoted to her craft and believes in giving back. During her tenure as a cheerleader for the Knicks, she worked with young dancers throughout the New York area and now plans to renew her efforts in Los Angeles.

We recently sat down with the gifted, yet unassuming Sarah Mitchell to discuss her new projects and to find out a bit more about her journey. During our exclusive interview, she took five and told us about working with the “crazy talented” Christina Aguilera, her highly coveted Super Bowl ring (yes, she has one!), and a most unusual job which landed her in somewhat of a pickle.

Tell us about the new show, The Dance Scene which will be airing on E! starting this April.

Basically, it’s kind of like The Hills meets the dance world. It’s based on Laurieann Gibson who is Lady Gaga’s choreographer, and we’re kind of intertwined in her world a little bit. Basically she’s so busy that she needs to bring more people into her company. It shows us a day in the life of Laurieann and just being a dancer in general. It should be really good. I’m really excited to see how it all turns out. It’s going to premier April 10th on E!.

You have appeared as a dancer in several films. What’s been your favorite experience so far?

Burlesque was probably my favorite experience, just because we danced so much and we were so involved. Basically dance was a big part of that movie. With The Other Two movies, it was like we worked so hard and you really only saw a little bit, which is so crazy to me. Even with Burlesque we did so much, and you still only see a little bit of the dancing. But I think that process for me was great, and I think for any girl it would be fun. {laughs}. I’m sitting there with Cher and Christina Aguilera and all these crazy stars who are extremely talented. The music, the dancing, everything about it was just awesome. It was tough at times, I’m not gonna lie. There was days where I was like “This is hard,” but it was all definitely worth it.

Who have you enjoyed working with the most thus far?

I would say probably Christina because I worked with her outside of Burlesque. I worked with her a little before, and I was on her Bionic Tour (Actually we only did the promo tour. We didn’t really go out on a full tour). But working with her, being on stage with her was just – it’s powerful. It’s extremely motivating and she’s so talented that it’s almost like it’s not real {laughs}. Even when she’s just playing around and not even singing, it’s just amazing. She’s crazy talented.

What do you consider to be your ultimate goal or achievement? In other words, what will happen that makes you say “I’ve made it,” or has it happened already and you continue to redefine your goals?

Yea, I kind of do redefine my goals, and I’ve had a few of those moments where it’s like “Wow!” When I was younger, I really do remember when I had those little goals, one at a time, and I would reach them. I remember being on stage with Christina in London doing Lady Marmalade thinking, “Oh my gosh this is amazing, I’ve finally made it! I’m a dancer!” And Burlesque was something that I had my heart set on. I was like, “I’m doing this movie.” I had to audition about five times but I was like “I’m doing this, one way or another !” I think as a dancer, those have been a few “Whoa” moments for me.

Now, I think my ultimate goal is just kind of transitioning, and making this into a full career. I’ve also been working really hard on acting and training really hard, and I would love to be able to star in a movie musical as an actor and a dancer – just expand on all of this in general. I’m open to new things, and I’m just open to whatever new comes my way. As long as it’s creative and interests me, I’m totally down for it.

What does dancing do for you that nothing else does?

I found the perfect way to describe that. I remember reading in an article somewhere that Beyonce has her alter-egos when she’s off stage and when she’s on stage, and I feel like I’m a completely different person when I’m on stage. I’m more confident and I just feel more like a woman when I’m on stage, and it gives me that fire. There’s nothing I like more than performing, and it seems to be dancing because I’ve trained and worked so hard at it, and I feel really confident when I dance. I really can’t describe The Feeling it gives me. I just love it. But it’s kind of like an alter-ego,you know? When I do get on stage I’m like a different person.

Tell us about your Super Bowl ring.

{Laughs} I was still living in Massachusetts and I was looking for some sort of audition, so I auditioned for the Patriots [cheerleaders] and I made it. I remember they were having a really bad season and doing appearances was kind of bad because people were like “Patriots suck!” {laughs}. I remember being so Young And naive and saying “I want to go to the Super Bowl!” {laughs}. We actually did go to the Super Bowl that year which was crazy, and they ended up winning. That year was the only year that they actually allowed cheerleaders to get the rings, because I think it caused a few issues in terms of who would get them and who wouldn’t. But they won the Super Bowl I think two times after that, so I picked the right year, for sure.

So yea, I have a Super Bowl ring which is really random, but I do. {laughs}

You have also been involved in teaching arts to children. You were doing some things in New York and now you’re working on setting something up out there in L.A. Can you tell us what you do and why it is so important to you?

Yes. When I was with the Knicks, there was an organization called Garden of Dreams that we worked with, and for four years when I was on the Knicks, not all of the girls, but some of us would teach kids in Harlem and in The Bronx. I didn’t realize it until later, but a lot of those kids were from shelters and in foster homes, and I just saw them in school. I didn’t know better, and when I found that out, it was like ripping my heart out. They were just sweet, talented kids – and talk about passionate. Those kids were extremely passionate. I just remember being in school in art class and gym. I actually hated gym, and if it would have been a dance class, it would have been much better. But I think kids need that. Growing up, it was the only thing I loved. It was the only thing I really did have. When I remember finding out that you really could be a dancer, I was like, “I’m gonna be a dancer.” I knew I was going to be a dancer, and I didn’t care what anybody said. I just think it would be great to have that option as kid to be exposed to it and expand their knowledge of it. I don’t think many of these kids even realize that they could be a dancer or do something creative. It’s not offered to them and I just think it should be. I’m really looking for some way to get involved here in L.A. with that.

Name Three Things that you would like people to know about you, and share with us something about you that is funny.

I’m definitely a little dorky. Maybe corny. I like to think I’m funny, but I’m not really. {laughs} We’ll just say I’m funny.

Oh, I have a good one. For one of my first jobs, I worked in a pickle barrel selling pickles, which is just so funny {laughs}. It was an actual large pickle barrel that I sat in and I sold pickles. Just the fact that I did that was funny.

[You heard it here first, folks!]

Name one thing you don’t have yet, but really want.

Probably an acting role. A large acting role. I’ve had some smaller roles, but I’d like a bigger one.

What advice would you give to aspiring dancers?

If it’s something you really love to do, do your work. Train as much as you can. Anything that’s in your control, whether it’s staying healthy, keeping in shape, keeping up on who you need to be working with and what agencies are out there. Take care of what you can take care of. Thinking back, I had so many large let-downs with jobs and every day I questioned “Is this something I should be doing?” Then I thought, “You know what? If I’m not doing this, there’s nothing else I really want to do, and I know I want to be happy.” Getting knocked down sucks, and there’s a lot of rejection but it’s just something that you’ve got to deal with. If you want it bad enough, you just have to keep pushing and eventually it’ll happen.

You can see Sarah on The Dance Scene beginning June 10th at 10:30/9:30c on E!