Within the hushed ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's posture is naturally upright, his arms defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can appear as powerful gods, yet often in person they are petite. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is part of his popularity for heroic roles and pas de deux work. With delicate features and intense eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.
A Seamless Rise to the Top
At 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced minimal ridicule for his childhood interest in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated directly into the company and was promoted annually, attaining the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished tackling meaty dramatic roles, particularly the psychological turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
His next featured appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" event designed to offer intimate perspectives into a dancer's art. He will walk the crowd through a part, demonstrating his mental process while execution. Even in lighter works, the challenge is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he states.
The Mental Struggle and Post-Performance Feelings
How does he feel after a show, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the character, quite often I do feel embarrassed afterwards. Following an intense role I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer previously remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very energetic in general, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for positive change."
Formative Drivers and Creative Influences
Ball's tenacity stemmed from youthful experiences. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "driven!" This became motivation to demonstrate he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.
The next challenge is making his own dance works. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the conventions is interesting, but just acting that they’re not a reality any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He wants his work to be loaded with substance, drawing inspiration from books, music, and art.
Close-Up Performance and Private Partnership
He also favors staging dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past experience. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made duets with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple are not usually paired on stage at their home company, which might be healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he admits. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite supporter."
On Social Media and Bodily Perception
On Instagram, fans can see videos from his projects and photos that showcase a athletic physique. Does he care that the engagement can be a bit objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on multiple levels.
Ball characterizes his younger self as "eager for success." Did it lived up to his expectations? "I feel very aware of how reality is a different reality to the dreams you made as a child," he muses. He probably has another decade of dancing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
