A Story of Passion, Performance, and the Magic of the Circus
If you had met Esther growing up in Burton on Trent, you might have seen a girl who loved to dance, who dreamed big, and who felt there was something more waiting beyond the horizon. What you probably wouldn’t have guessed is that her future would include life under the big top, travelling the country as a circus worker, performing dangerous crossbow tricks, and raising two children on tour.
Yet this is exactly where Esther’s story leads, a story full of glitter, courage, love, and a little bit of circus magic.
A Brave Step Into Circus Life
In December 2019, at just 22 years old, Esther took a leap that would change everything. She joined Gandeys Circus as a dancer, stepping into a world that was vibrant, demanding, and utterly thrilling. Her very first contract took her all the way to Singapore, a far cry from Burton on Trent and a true baptism into circus life.
As a Gandeys Dancer, Esther quickly learned that the circus wasn’t just about performing, it was about dedication, teamwork, and living life at full speed. Every show brought excitement, every rehearsal demanded discipline, and every new location felt like another chapter in a story she had only just begun.
Meeting Serik Under the Big Top
It was during that first contract in Singapore that Esther met Serik. He was already well established in the circus world, an artist, tent master, and someone who carried the calm confidence of a man who truly belonged beneath the canvas roof.
Esther was there to dance, Serik was there to keep the show running smoothly and perform his own acts, but backstage, between circus mania and rehearsals, their paths kept crossing. In the close-knit world of the circus, connections form quickly, and theirs was no exception.
What started beneath the big top soon grew into a partnership built on trust, shared enthusiasm, and a love for the extraordinary.
A Family Born on Tour
Circus life doesn’t pause for milestones, it carries them along. And for Esther and Serik, that meant starting a family right in the heart of their travelling world.
Their first son, Arlan, was born in June 2022 in Llandudno while they were on tour. Two years later, in May 2024, their second son, Ayan, arrived, also in Llandudno, and incredibly, in the very same hospital . Two circus babies, born between performances, rehearsals, and packing up for the next town.
Raising children as circus workers might sound daunting, but in the circus, no one raises children alone. Everyone becomes family. There are always extra hands, extra smiles, and endless support. Esther loves that her children are growing up surrounded by music, movement, and people who genuinely care.
Being able to continue working and doing what she loves, while having her little family right there with her, is something Esther considers incredibly lucky.
Dancing With Danger: The Crossbow Act
Today, at 28, Esther’s role in the circus has expanded far beyond dance. While movement and rhythm remain at the core of who she is, she has also embraced something far more daring, the crossbow act.
Together, Esther and Serik chose to create an act that audiences don’t see every day. It’s dangerous, intense, and requires complete trust. Every arrow fired is the result of hours of preparation, focus, and practice. They trained every single day, pushing themselves until the act finally came together.
Esther now balances grace with nerves of steel, while Serik brings his experience as a tent master, manager, aerial artist, and crossbow performer into the ring. Their act is a true partnership, one built on precision, bravery, and belief in each other.
And they’re not stopping there. They’re already looking ahead, excited to add even more difficult and dangerous tricks, continuing to evolve just as the circus itself does.
Life as a Circus Worker
Ask Esther what she loves most about circus life, and her answer is simple: the people and the places.
The circus is one big family. Friendships formed on tour last a lifetime, forged through early mornings, late nights, and shared applause. Every new town brings fresh faces and new memories, whether it’s performing near beautiful locations like Hong Kong, Merry Hill,Trentham Gardens, The Trafford Centre and many others or rolling into a place she’s never seen before.
Life as a circus worker is hard work. There’s constant travel, setting up and packing down, rehearsing and performing, but it’s also filled with moments of pure magic that make it all worthwhile.
Still Dancing, Still Dreaming
From Burton on Trent to the big top, Esther’s journey has been anything but ordinary. She’s grown from a young dancer into a confident performer, a fearless crossbow artist, and a mother raising her children in a world filled with wonder.
Yet at her core, Esther is still the same girl who loved to dance.
As the lights dim and the music begins, she steps into the ring knowing she’s exactly where she belongs, living a whimsical, exciting life as a Gandeys Dancer, surrounded by family, adventure, and the endless magic of the circus.
