In the quiet ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His carriage is naturally upright, his arms muscular beneath a plain tee. During performances, dancers can seem like mighty deities, yet frequently offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose height is part of his popularity for princely roles and pas de deux work. Possessing delicate traits and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Top
At 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered minimal ridicule for his childhood interest in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated directly into the troupe and was promoted each year, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved tackling meaty dramatic roles, especially the psychological angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
His next featured role is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event designed to offer intimate perspectives into a performer's art. He will walk the crowd through a role, demonstrating his cognitive process while execution. Even in more comedic ballets, the challenge is significant. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he states.
The Mental Struggle and After the Show Emotions
What about after a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the character, frequently I do feel embarrassed afterwards. Following an intense role I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a dance maker previously remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very active in general, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for positive change."
Early Drivers and Creative Inspirations
His determination stemmed from youthful experiences. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" This became motivation to prove he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.
The next challenge is making his own choreography. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the rules is interesting, 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 filled with meaning, drawing ideas from books, music, and art.
Close-Up Performance and Private Dynamic
He additionally is interested in staging dance in smaller venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous show. "You’re so near to the viewers. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has created duets with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They are not typically 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. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."
On Social Media and Bodily Perception
On social media, followers can see videos from his projects and photos that highlight a athletic physique. Does he care that the engagement can be somewhat focused on appearance? 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—something that can be interpreted on various ways.
Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Did it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how life is a different thing to the aspirations you made as a child," he reflects. He likely has another ten years of performing left. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
