In the hushed ambiance of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's posture is naturally straight-backed, his arms muscular beneath a plain tee. On stage, dancers can appear like powerful deities, yet often offstage they are petite. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is part of his demand for princely characters and partnering. Possessing delicate traits and intense eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.
An Apparent Rise to the Top
At 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal ridicule for his early passion in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated straight into the troupe and was promoted each year, reaching the top rank of principal in 2018. He has relished tackling substantial characters, particularly the emotional turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
His next featured role is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series designed to offer intimate perspectives into a performer's art. He will walk the audience through a part, demonstrating his mental process during execution. Even in lighter ballets, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest technically," he states.
The Mental Struggle and After the Show Feelings
How does he feel following a show, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get lost in the role, quite often I do feel self-conscious afterwards. Following an intense role I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer once observed 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 somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."
Early Motivations and Artistic Influences
His tenacity originated in youthful setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" This became motivation to prove he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.
The next endeavor is creating his own dance works. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the rules 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 aims his work to be loaded with substance, drawing inspiration from literature, music, and painting.
Intimate Dance and Personal Partnership
He additionally favors presenting dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past 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 lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t usually paired on stage at their home company, which might be beneficial. "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 biggest cheerleader."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Perception
On social media, followers can see videos from his projects and images that highlight a sculpted form. Does he care that the response can be a bit focused on appearance? Not really. "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—something that can be seen on various levels.
Ball characterizes his early self as "desperate for success." Did it lived up to his hopes? "I am conscious of how reality is a different thing to the aspirations you made as a young person," he reflects. He probably has about ten years of dancing ahead. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
