Amazing Miss Maisie | 2025 Student of the Year Spotlight Youth Circus Gosford

For the first time in 2025 we decided to make a new annual award and celebrate a student who represents the values we care about most. We chose a student who has been a strong presence in our community this year and has shown a lot of personal growth during this time.

Our inaugural Student of the Year Award was given to Maisie Beaumont- Denison for 2025.

Maisie began training at Roundabout when she was just six years old. Over the years she has grown not only in skill, but in character. Alongside her circus training, she has also trained as a dancer, bringing strength, musicality and stage presence to everything she does. In 2025 she joined Performance Troupe for the first time and is already setting her sights on stepping into aerial competitions in 2026.

Her favourite apparatus is Lyra, though she has trained across silks and trapeze, and started in our general circus classes when she was younger. Now Maisie can often be found doing acro with friends from troupe at open training or working on her lyra act. We are still working on adding juggling to her repertoire but she is always willing to give things a try. What stands out most, is not just her versatility but her mindset.

Maisie received Student of the Year because she consistently shows up for the community while remaining deeply committed to her own goals. She embodies empowerment with humility, confidently stepping into new roles while staying grounded and generous. When another troupe member was injured during the year, Maisie stepped up into a leading role with calm focus and care. In her spare time, she made several stage props for the troupe show, demonstrating her creativity and initiative. She collaborates naturally, encouraging others in class and at events, while also modelling leadership in her own circles beyond circus.

She balances exploring risk with staying safe, pushing herself technically while maintaining discipline in her training. She shows her playful side on stage, most memorably as Wendy having a pillow fight in Neverland, and pairs that creativity with self-directed practice and determination behind the scenes. She celebrates individuality and fosters inclusion, treating everyone with respect and curiosity.

Maisie also gives back generously. She has volunteered at many events, often arriving with a fresh batch of cupcakes for fundraisers. She attended Erina Rotary Club to thank them for their donation and support and share her experience at Canberra Circus Festival, where she took every opportunity to improve her skills and trained with determination and focus.

One moment that truly reflected her character came at our final event of the year. When we needed an MC at the last minute, Maisie stepped forward. Drawing on the public speaking skills she has been developing through school and other leadership opportunities, she embraced the challenge, even though this improvisation pushed her outside her comfort zone. She combined her love of performance with courage and leadership, unaware that she was about to be announced as our Student of the Year.

As Coach Sarah shared: "Beyond her impressive achievements and commitment to her technique and expanding her skill repertoire, Maisie is a kind, caring, and a wonderfully comedic young woman who embodies the very spirit of our circus community."

Maisie has blossomed as a performer this past year. From her first clowning staff acro act at Comicon, to her contemporary lyra solo at the end of the year. We are incredibly proud of the young person she is becoming, we are grateful for your positive energy and cupcakes and can’t wait to see where her lyra takes her next. 🎪