Within the quiet atmosphere of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is naturally upright, his arms muscular beneath a simple tee. On stage, ballet dancers can appear as mighty gods, yet often offstage they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is part of his popularity for heroic roles and pas de deux work. With fine features 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 peak of a career that has progressed smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced little teasing for his early passion in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated straight into the company and was advanced each year, reaching the highest position of principal in 2018. He has relished taking on meaty characters, particularly the psychological turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
Ball's upcoming featured appearance is as himself, in an "Evening With" event designed to offer intimate insights into a performer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a role, showing his mental process during performance. Even in more comedic works, the test is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest technically," he notes.
The Psychological Struggle and After the Show Feelings
How does he feel after a show, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he says. "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. After an intense role I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer once observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite energetic in general, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for positive change."
Formative Drivers and Artistic Inspirations
His tenacity stemmed from youthful experiences. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" It was motivation to prove he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.
An upcoming endeavor is creating his own dance works. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Challenging 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 inspiration from books, music, and painting.
Close-Up Dance and Private Dynamic
He additionally favors staging dance in smaller venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past show. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has created duets 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 audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t typically matched on stage at their home company, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he admits. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Image
On Instagram, fans can see clips from his dance films and images that highlight a athletic form. Does he care that the response can be a bit objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on multiple ways.
Ball describes his younger self as "eager for success." Did it lived up to his hopes? "I am conscious of how reality is a separate thing to the dreams you had as a child," he muses. He probably has about decade of dancing left. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
