Within the quiet ambiance of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's posture is naturally straight-backed, his arms defined beneath a simple tee. During performances, ballet dancers can seem as mighty gods, yet frequently in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for princely roles and pas de deux work. With delicate traits and piercing eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Top
At 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has advanced smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced little teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated directly into the troupe and was advanced each year, attaining the highest position of principal in 2018. He has relished taking on substantial dramatic roles, especially the emotional angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
Ball's upcoming featured appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" event designed to offer intimate perspectives into a dancer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a role, showing his mental workflow while performance. Yet in lighter works, the test is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he notes.
The Mental Struggle and Post-Performance Feelings
What about after a performance, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get lost in the character, quite often I do feel self-conscious afterwards. Following Mayerling I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer previously observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite energetic in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for positive change."
Formative Motivations and Creative Influences
His determination stemmed from early setbacks. Not doing well in contests at school made him "driven!" It was fuel to demonstrate he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.
An upcoming challenge is making his own choreography. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the conventions is interesting, but just pretending that they’re not a reality any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He aims his work to be filled with substance, drawing ideas from literature, music, and painting.
Close-Up Dance and Private Partnership
He additionally favors presenting dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so near to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made pieces with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t usually paired on stage at their main theater, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite supporter."
On Social Media and Bodily Perception
On social media, followers can see clips from his projects and photos that highlight a sculpted form. Does he mind that the response can be somewhat objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he explains. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on multiple levels.
Ball describes 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 likely has about ten years of performing ahead. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
