In the quiet ambiance of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is naturally upright, his arms defined beneath a plain tee. During performances, ballet dancers can seem like mighty gods, yet frequently offstage they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose height is part of his demand for heroic characters and pas de deux work. Possessing delicate traits and intense eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.
A Seamless Rise to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his childhood interest in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated straight into the company and was promoted each year, attaining the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished taking on substantial characters, especially the psychological turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
His upcoming starring role is as himself, in an "In Conversation" series aiming to offer intimate perspectives into a performer's craft. He will guide the audience through a part, demonstrating his cognitive workflow during performance. Even in more comedic ballets, the test is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest technically," he states.
The Psychological Struggle and Post-Performance Feelings
What about after a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the role, quite often I do feel self-conscious later. Following Mayerling I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is reflective, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. But a choreographer once observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite active in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for positive change."
Early Motivations and Creative Influences
Ball's tenacity originated in early setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "driven!" It was motivation to demonstrate he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.
An upcoming endeavor is making his own dance works. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the conventions is compelling, but just pretending 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 loaded with meaning, drawing ideas from books, compositions, and art.
Close-Up Dance and Private Partnership
He also is interested in staging dance in more intimate spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous 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 level of trust between them is evident. "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 home company, which might be healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."
On Social Media and Bodily Perception
On Instagram, fans can see videos from his dance films and photos that showcase a sculpted physique. Does he mind that the engagement can be a bit focused on appearance? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on various levels.
Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it met his hopes? "I feel very aware of how life is a different thing to the dreams you had as a young person," he muses. He probably has another decade of performing left. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
