Ep 2: Amanda — Hula Hoops & Friendship
Season 1: Dream Chasers
Intro
Circus life has a way of connecting people across countries and time zones. When I landed in China to train at the Beijing International Acrobatic School, I wanted to reach out to performers who had been through the same experience. That’s how I discovered Amanda online — another hula hoop artist whose story immediately inspired me.
We started messaging on Facebook, and over the next three years our friendship grew entirely online. I would reach out with questions, struggles, or just for advice, and she would always reply with thoughtful, detailed messages — sometimes essays! We had never spoken on the phone, and I had never even heard her voice. It was like having a pen pal, but online.
Finally, we decided it was time to meet in person. Amanda hopped on a plane from the UK, and I went to pick her up. She stayed with me for four days in Ireland. At first, we were a little nervous — but it felt immediately like we had always known each other. Ten years later, our friendship is still as strong as ever, flourishing and full of shared circus adventures.
Over the years, Amanda’s journey has been incredibly inspiring. After training at the acrobatic school in Beijing, she moved to Shanghai and worked there for several years, before later taking her training to Mexico, where she continues to learn from a variety of teachers and mentors. Her love for learning even took her to Barcelona for an intensive 10-day course recently — finding time for these experiences is something she’s learned to prioritise.
Amanda also played a huge role in my life beyond friendship. While working for a company called Area 51 in the UK, which hires circus performers to work at resorts in the Maldives, Amanda recommended me when a performer dropped out. This was my first contract in the Maldives in 2018 — the place where I met my husband and started my family. Amanda has sparked so much abundance in my life, and I’m endlessly grateful for her.
With that foundation, we dove into our chat for Bubble Bum Banter.
Interview
Jess: Can you tell us your name, your specialty or skill, and three words that feel like you right now?
Amanda: Amanda Wesley. Hula hoops are my specialty, but that has also evolved into hair hanging, aerial hoop, and also hand to hand!
Three words: happy, inspired, motivated.
Jess: Where are you joining us from today?
Amanda: I’m joining from Cornwall, UK — currently on tour as a hula hooping Cheshire Cat :)
The Spark & Early Circus Life
Jess: How did you first get into circus and hula hoop? Was there a moment where you thought, “Yes, this is it — this is what I want to do”?
Amanda: I had never seen any circus or knew anything about it all the way up until about 17. As a teenager starting to find her wings, I started to leave my somewhat boring town and began visiting and staying in Brighton. I opened a Time Out magazine there and saw a double-page spread on “Learn Circus.” I remember very vividly being so interested and so in awe that you could take circus lessons, that I had to try.
Initially it was silks and trapeze, but I knew straight away I loved it and wanted to learn more. At the time I had just booked a ticket to India and Thailand — it was a big calling to go — and I remember feeling like, “Nooo, I’ve just found my thing and now I’m leaving!” But I kept finding it on my travels.
I landed in Thailand where I met more circus people at a festival and tried and learned whatever I could. Then I went to India where I met a circus friend, and we started doing yoga every morning on the rooftops. This quickly led into more — more flexibility, more conditioning, more handstands — and I just wanted to do it all.
On this trip someone gave me my first hula hoop, and I traveled and trained with it and just knew I wanted to do more. At one point the circus friend became my boyfriend, and we both said: if we wanted to be really good at something, why not go where they do it best? Later we found ourselves in China.
What started out as three months — purely because I liked it and wanted to be better — became three years of full-time circus school. Why? Because I loved it. I became fascinated with how much the body could learn, and every time I thought about leaving, I knew if I stayed longer, I could do more. I just got obsessed with how far I could go.
Jess: Was there anyone who inspired you or guided you early on — a teacher, a performer, or maybe just an inner knowing?
Amanda: I would have to say that first person I met on my travels in Thailand and India was the first that opened the door for me. His motivation and dedication to his art inspired me a lot. Waking up at sunrise to do yoga on the rooftops inspired me.
I quickly learned that if you want something in circus you have to be dedicated to it. It’s a mix of motivation to want to do the thing, but also the discipline to keep doing it. Circus is a lot about committing and never giving up.
I’ve been lucky to have met several very motivated people on my journey, and their motivation and dedication always inspire me to do and be better.
Our Friendship Story
Jess: Thinking back to our early online conversations, what stands out to you about those first three years of messaging over Facebook Messenger?
Amanda: If I’m completely honest, what we chatted about then I can’t even remember!! But I know we connected on a similar passion — probably hula hoops — and we were just two people trying to find our way on an uncommon path. That was enough to spark something that would inspire us to later meet!
Jess: When we finally met in Ireland — at the airport and over those four days — what do you remember most about that first in-person meeting?
Amanda: It was such an incredible feeling to jump on a plane and meet someone you’ve never actually met before! I would actually recommend it!
I remember very clearly having a gap and not knowing what to do, and you invited me over. I just thought, “Why not!!” I was very excited to meet a friend I never knew! That trip actually gave us both so much.
Now I love meeting people and sharing. I feel like there aren’t many of us trying to figure out the unusual circus path. A lot of it is self-discovery, going for it, and figuring it out alone along the way. So when you meet someone else also trying to work it out, it’s just so good to bounce off each other. I think we both left feeling very inspired and motivated.
Jess: How has our friendship grown over the years, and what has kept it strong despite living in different countries?
Amanda: Oh, it’s become such a beautiful friendship and I’m so grateful for it. There are some people you don’t need to see every day or even talk with every day, but you know they are always there. Anytime one of us needs advice or wants to share an idea, we know we’re just a voice message away.
I appreciate so much our little “coffee chats” over voice message. We always lift each other up and inspire each other. I’m so grateful to have a friend like you, who I know is always a message away. And the fact that we get to have little catch-ups in person sometimes — even in the Maldives — is just a dream.
I made it to your wedding, I’ve seen you become a mum, and I listened to your early ideas of your business blossoming. I’ve watched, over time, how everything has developed. We are there for the important bits, and when we’re not, we’re sending each other workout videos to try or anything else in between to keep each other inspired!
Career & Travel Adventures
Jess: After your training in Beijing, you moved to Shanghai and worked there for several years. Can you share a bit about that experience and what you learned from living and working in a different country?
Amanda: I thought I was ready to leave China after three years in Beijing, even though I could never have had enough of training. But a point came when I thought, okay, I need to get out of the training room, away from only seeing my reflection in the mirror, and it’s time to start doing something with everything I had learned. Shanghai was a breath of fresh air for me.
In Shanghai I got my first aerial contract, and I think this made me believe that what started out as something I loved could very much become a job. It was a fun contract, and I started to enjoy the part of looking for new costumes and music — things I hadn’t thought much about before. I loved living in Shanghai. I also kept up my training on the side with some Chinese coaches I had found, and I had a great routine going, so I was happy.
Jess: Later, you moved your training to Mexico. How has this environment shaped your practice, and what have you learned from the teachers and mentors there?
Amanda: In Mexico I explored other skills — I worked on hand to hand and hair hanging. I love Mexico for training; there are so many incredible artists and teachers there, and I love going when I have a break to improve skills.
At one moment I had a vision to try hair hanging, but it was still very difficult to find a teacher. I found an amazing teacher in Mexico. I also have one of my favourite flexibility coaches there, and I love going to focus on something particular or just to have a training routine in between contracts.
I find it difficult in my home country to have the same training facilities, coaches, and routine as I do in Mexico. I enjoy going there with a vision and something to work on, because training still is something I love to do — it’s what I loved the most from the beginning. I like having a break just to train without getting distracted by performing.
Jess: You recently completed an intensive 10-day course in Barcelona. How do you find time for courses like this, and what drives your love of continuous learning?
Amanda: I loved it! There’s always an opportunity to find new ways to train, new inspiration, and new exploration. Sometimes on a contract I miss the training element, and also coming together with others is always inspiring. You leave with so many more ideas.
I think it’s important to always keep learning and exploring. A new skill or a new goal keeps it interesting, and I’m a big fan of just keeping on learning.
Jess: While working with Area 51 in the UK and performing at resorts in the Maldives, you helped inspire my first contract there. How did you approach these types of opportunities, and what advice would you give performers seeking international work?
Amanda: I would say just go for it and keep trying, keep working towards it. I’m a strong believer that where you direct your energy, you will see results.
I got frustrated with sending emails and not getting replies. I remember thinking, hey, this is England — aren’t people supposed to be polite here? I quickly got frustrated putting time and effort into emails and not getting anything back. I found I had more luck with auditions, and meeting people in person generally always went quite well for me.
I remember very clearly going to the Area 51 audition not having a clue what I was going to, and I just showed them what I had and gave it my best. I loved the company from the get-go and their friendly energy. When I got a call the next day asking if I wanted to go to the Maldives, I was over the moon.
That was a big lesson: just go for it and put yourself out there, because you never know what may come. And since then I’ve had so many incredible experiences with them — from many Maldives contracts to amazing festivals in the UK. I’m always extremely grateful for the great opportunities and memories I’ve had with them, and so grateful they swooped me up back in the day.
Life, Training & Inspiration
Jess: What does a typical day of training look like for you?
Amanda: That very much depends on whether I’m on a contract or not — and if I am, then what free time I have. In the Maldives, I like to train in the morning and have evening shows. Now I’m on tour and there’s travel involved, so it’s harder to make the time, but always before a show I do my warm-up and stretch, and the show itself is quite physical.
I always try to move a little bit in the morning, as I feel better for it — whether that’s a stretch or a little run, I just feel better for movement.
If I’m not on a contract, I love making a routine and filling my days with training — anything from aerial classes, handstands, or flexibility and stretching. I love stretching now, and I find it easier to maintain by doing it often. So even if I’m on a trip or traveling, a big part of that will always be training or stretching.
I always love learning new skills and having a routine with training. For me it’s much easier to maintain everything and keep it going than to take breaks. I very much like to keep moving and keep stretching.
Jess: How do you balance circus, life, and keeping connections with friends or mentors who inspire you?
Amanda: Hmmm, not always the easiest!! Travel and being away is something I’m quite familiar with. Sometimes it’s voice messages and catch-ups and check-ins, like we do. Sometimes it’s making new friends on new contracts, because you do make friends quickly in this industry. Having friends all over the world and making new ones is part of it.
My childhood friends from back home know I’m hard to pin down and make plans with — this industry can be very last minute and irregular. Living out of a suitcase with few items is quite familiar now.
Sometimes I’ll take online classes with teachers that I’ve found and enjoy, and wish I could still have access to in person. That gives me some normality, because it’s frustrating when you find a teacher you love but then you have to leave. So I love that we can sometimes take online classes to keep the rhythm going.
Jess: Is there a piece of advice you love giving to other performers — something you wish someone had told you when you started?
Amanda: Ooo I’m sure I have many little things depending on what you’re working on, but I think you generally just have to love what you’re doing. Just believe in it and do it with all your heart. Don’t worry about the end goal — just keep chipping away at it. It’s impossible not to see progress.
If you want to be flexible, commit to it — you will see results. If you want to get that trick, just keep doing it. You will get it. Just keep working at whatever it is you want and be consistent. And then whenever you’re ready, the world will be ready for you.
I feel like we are pushed too much to know what we need to do in life, and to hurry to get there. I don’t think it’s so necessary. Just find what you love and keep doing it until it becomes your thing.
Fun & Personal
Jess: Stripes or velvet?
Amanda: That’s a tricky one, but I’d say velvet.
Jess: Do you have any little rituals or habits that keep you grounded, motivated, or inspired?
Amanda: I’m sure I do without even realising it. I love nature, and when I travel for a job I love to get out and see where I am — whether it’s making time for a sunset, a morning walk, or finding a little “me time” in the day for reflection.
Whenever I have to drive for an event, I always try to find something in the area to make it a nice day out and an opportunity to know a new place — not only a long drive. I love getting to find new places this way and turning everything into an adventure.
I always find happiness and beauty in all the small things in between, and this way I feel so much more grateful and happy for all the new experiences.
Looking Back & Forward
Jess: Thinking about your circus journey and your friendships, what’s a moment that makes you smile or feel proud when you look back?
Amanda: I think for me it wouldn’t be a particular moment. The fact that I get to do what I love as a lifestyle is what really makes me happy. It really is true that when you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.
For me it was never about being the best or working in the biggest companies. All I ever wanted was to be successful enough that I could live a life I love, and that I could travel too. So being able to live a life I choose makes me proud. Looking back at the journey also makes me proud — just the fact that I kept going and kept believing.
Getting to meet amazing people along the way and getting to share the experience makes it even better.
Jess: If you could leave one piece of circus wisdom for our readers — something that captures your heart or experience — what would it be?
Amanda: I’m a firm believer that where we direct our energy, things will come. It’s impossible not to improve at something or not to make it if that’s where you put all your energy.
I’ve had people say, “Oh, but what will you do next?” and this and that, and I’m not worried. I didn’t know I would be doing what I do now — I just kept doing what I was interested in, and things happened.
Just keep chipping away at what you want, and listen to your intuition. I believe a lot in letting intuition be your guide and listening to it :)
Outro
Reading this motivates me to keep going and keep chasing my dreams. Earlier this year I took my toddler to India while I trained at Bliss Circus for two months — all while five months pregnant. After reading Amanda’s words, I feel even more fire to keep pushing forward. Even now with two children, I can clearly see myself going to Mexico with them and having so many adventures.
Here in Ireland, there’s a mindset that once you have kids, your dreams are over. But I believe quite the opposite. Shortly after giving birth both times, I’ve felt an abundant amount of drive and creative energy. That’s exactly how Bubble Bum Banter was born — and I’m only three months postpartum.
Amanda’s story is a reminder that passion and persistence can shape a life you love, no matter the circumstances.
