In the hushed ambiance of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His posture is effortlessly straight-backed, his arms muscular beneath a simple white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can appear like powerful deities, yet often in person they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for princely roles and partnering. With fine features and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Rise to the Top
At 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced little ridicule for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the troupe and was advanced annually, attaining the top rank of principal in 2018. He has loved taking on meaty dramatic roles, especially the emotional angst found in a famed choreographer's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
His upcoming featured appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series designed to offer intimate insights into a performer's art. He will guide the crowd through a part, demonstrating his cognitive workflow during performance. Yet in lighter ballets, the test is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he notes.
The Psychological Struggle and Post-Performance Emotions
How does he feel after a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the role, frequently I do feel self-conscious afterwards. After Mayerling I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer previously observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very energetic usually, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for good change."
Formative Motivations and Artistic Influences
His determination originated in early experiences. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" This became fuel to prove he could succeed. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.
The next challenge is creating his own choreography. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the rules is compelling, but just acting 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 inspiration from literature, music, and painting.
Intimate Performance and Private Partnership
He additionally is interested in presenting dance in more intimate 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 realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has created pieces with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple are not usually paired on stage at their home company, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he admits. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Image
On Instagram, followers can see clips from his projects and photos that highlight a sculpted form. Does he care that the response can be somewhat focused on appearance? 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—something that can be seen on various ways.
Ball describes his younger self as "desperate for success." Did it lived up to his hopes? "I am conscious of how life is a different reality to the dreams you made as a young person," he reflects. He likely has another decade of dancing left. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
