Within the quiet atmosphere of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is effortlessly upright, his limbs muscular beneath a plain tee. On stage, ballet dancers can seem as mighty deities, yet often in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his popularity for heroic characters and partnering. With fine features and intense eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Top
Now 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has progressed smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced little ridicule for his early passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the company and was promoted annually, attaining the highest position of principal in 2018. He has loved tackling substantial characters, particularly the psychological angst found in a famed choreographer's works.
"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 "In Conversation" event designed to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a performer's art. He will guide the audience through a part, demonstrating his cognitive process while performance. Even in lighter ballets, the test is significant. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he notes.
The Mental Struggle and After the Show Emotions
What about following a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get lost in the character, frequently I do feel self-conscious later. After an intense role I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. But a dance maker previously remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very energetic in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for positive change."
Early Motivations and Artistic Inspirations
Ball's determination originated in youthful experiences. Not doing well in contests at school made him "vengeful!" This became motivation 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 remembers.
An upcoming challenge is creating his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the rules is compelling, but just acting that they’re not a thing any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He aims his work to be filled with substance, drawing inspiration from literature, music, and art.
Intimate Dance and Private Partnership
He also favors staging dance in more intimate spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past experience. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made duets with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They aren’t 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 admits. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite supporter."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Perception
On social media, fans can see videos from his dance films and images that highlight a athletic 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 protective about it," he states. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on various ways.
Ball describes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it met his expectations? "I feel very aware of how reality is a different thing to the dreams you made as a child," he muses. He probably has about ten years of performing left. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
