'I'm proud when she's proud': Meet the youngest star of a homegrown circus show and her supportive dad

At 10 years old, Ashley K. Tan is already reaching great heights — literally. 

She has been training in acro dance and defying gravity since she was four, and now she's the youngest performer in homegrown circus show Lai Frisque Yi Xia Leh!.

But it's not just her talent that shines — it's also her hopefulness, passion and confidence. 

"This is one of my dreams," the young performer told AsiaOne at the homegrown show's opening night on Thursday (Dec 12) at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre.

Organised by the Circus Academy of Singapore, the 90-minute show will run until Dec 15 and features a largely Singaporean cast, Ashley among them, who will perform modern circus acts — with a local twist. 

"I dream to perform in a circus like this when I grow older as well. I think I can do it," she added. 

Of course, chasing big dreams comes with its challenges — and Ashley's life is a real balancing act when it comes to managing her training, studies and other passions. 

"It's really difficult," the primary four student stated. 

"We also started training during my exam period. This was the hardest part because I had to train every Saturday night and still juggle my studies," she recalled. 

Training leading up to the performance began in February this year. 

According to Ashley, there's also one tiny downside to being the youngest performer of the troupe. 

Being the smallest in size, she always ends up being tossed around the stage and being on top of everyone in formations. 

"I'm always based by somebody else," she explained, referring to being lifted or balanced on another performer during the routines. 

"Sometimes I look down and I'm really high off the ground." 

"But other than that, it's really fun," she added.

She also shared that while she's slightly afraid of heights and would "be terrified" if she was put on top of a tall building, she feels safe with her cast members. 

Many of her fellow performers who were afraid of heights also shared this sentiment with us, stating that it's mostly the trust between them that quelled their fears while performing. 

And while he's not a performer in the show, there's another person who has full faith in the members — Ashley's dad Johnny. 

"To be honest we're worried about her every minute," he said in regards to his daughter performing circus stunts. 

"When she's training, even when she's on one person's shoulder, there's always a nervous factor to it because this is an art form, not an exact science. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't." 

And while worrying about his daughter is inevitable as a parent, he trusts the troupe members to keep her safe. 

"One of the things that we feel very confident about are the people around her. Her coaches and teammates are all very responsible and I trust them. And so does she!" Johnny said.

Steady support 

Johnny, 52, a chief creative officer at an advertising agency, isn't just Ashley's dad — he's also one of her biggest cheerleaders and pillars of support, alongside his wife Stephanie, 43, who runs an e-commerce business.

They always make time to take her to all her practices, making sure to make it a "special occasion" every single time. 

Johnny is also a volunteer at Lai Frisque Yi Xia Leh!. 

"It's never a chore," he said. "It's great when you see her light up when she's with her cast members, so it's a pleasure." 

But with their busy schedules, it's no easy feat. 

"It's challenging, make no mistake about it. Having to carve out a lot of time for training, balancing her studies and her other passions, it's hard," he stated. 

Still, nothing compares to seeing his daughter pursue her dreams.

"But we enjoy doing it. Nothing is more important than her wellbeing and her passions. It's a priority for us. 

"It has never been easy, but whenever she trains hard, puts in the effort and sees the results, you see that light up in her face. Nothing beats that for a parent," he said, looking at his beaming daughter. 

"There's no harm in chasing what makes you feel happy and learning from it."  

And their relentless support definitely reflects in Ashley's positive attitude and achievements — from performing at school recitals to taking part in competitions like Get The Beat and now a large-scale production like Lai Frisque Yi Xia Leh!.

But for Johnny and his wife, their proudest moments aren't about awards, applause or the fact that their young daughter is now taking center stage at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre — it's seeing her do what makes her happy. 

"I'm proud when she's proud of herself," he said. 

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