came out of it all with some spectacular shots. So, in celebration of inspiration, I'm offering you a teaser that doesn't appear in the Ekhaya sample chapter - eat your hearts out. And remember, if you want to see more, there's more to be had, and some amazing kids to benefit from it. Just visit the blog entry from January and follow the instructions.
Photo: Sarah DeVenne
Hair/Makeup: Thyra Sanft
Studio: Aperture Studio
Subject: Melissa Marie Legge
The following is an excerpt from Ekhaya: A memoir of 21 years, circus, and South Africa, by Melissa Marie Legge.
It was at Wonderbolt, only short hours later, that I first lay my hands on juggling clubs. They were decorated Renegade Fatheads, words that meant next to nothing to me at the time, that felt like marbles in my mouth. I spent hours trying to learn how to wield them, and I willed my brain not to forget the rudimentary three-ball pattern that I had learned as an adolescent, standing over my bed. Little did I know how important these pieces of plastic and wood would become in my life. A few short years later, a set, my set, of white Henry’s juggling clubs would represent my entire relationship with the world of circus. Those simple objects embody the pain, the elation, the rush, the fear, the intimidation, and the confidence, all of it. It is so strange how much importance objects can have. And what do they mean? Nothing. Plastic. Tape. Wood. Metal. They are nothing.
They are everything. In years to come, I would work for hours and hours and hours and still miss the same trick. I would throw them to the ground, furious. I would pray that they would turn to glass and shatter. I would pray that they would turn to sand, to dust. I would clutch them as though the sun would fade if I let go. I would juggle for six hours on end. I would be inspired to the point of breathlessness.
