Within the quiet atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is effortlessly upright, his arms defined beneath a simple white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can seem as mighty gods, yet frequently offstage they are petite. Not so Ball, whose height is one reason for his demand for princely characters and partnering. Possessing fine traits and piercing eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has advanced smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered little ridicule for his early interest in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved directly into the troupe and was advanced annually, attaining the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished taking on meaty dramatic roles, particularly the psychological angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
Ball's upcoming featured role is as himself, in an "Evening With" event aiming to offer intimate insights into a dancer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a role, showing his mental workflow while performance. Even in more comedic ballets, the test is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he states.
The Mental Game and After the Show Emotions
What about following a performance, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the character, frequently I do feel embarrassed later. Following Mayerling I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is reflective, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. But a dance maker once remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very energetic in general, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for good change."
Formative Drivers and Artistic Influences
His tenacity originated in early setbacks. Not doing well in contests at school made him "vengeful!" It was motivation to prove he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.
An upcoming endeavor is creating his own choreography. 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 filled with meaning, drawing ideas from books, compositions, and painting.
Close-Up Dance and Personal Partnership
He additionally favors staging dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has made pieces with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They are not typically paired on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."
On Social Media and Physical Image
On social media, followers can see videos from his projects and photos that highlight a sculpted form. 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 compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on various ways.
Ball characterizes his younger self as "eager for success." Did it met his expectations? "I feel very aware of how life is a different thing to the aspirations you had as a child," he muses. He probably has another ten years of performing left. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
