In the hushed atmosphere of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's posture is naturally upright, his arms muscular beneath a plain tee. On stage, ballet dancers can seem as mighty deities, yet often offstage they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his popularity for heroic characters and pas de deux work. Possessing delicate traits and piercing eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has progressed smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered little teasing for his early interest in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated directly into the troupe and was promoted annually, attaining the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on meaty dramatic roles, especially the psychological turmoil found in a famed choreographer's works.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
His next starring role is as himself, in an "In Conversation" series aiming to offer intimate insights into a dancer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a part, demonstrating his mental workflow during performance. Even in lighter works, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.
The Mental Struggle and Post-Performance Emotions
How does he feel after a performance, when he has succeeded? "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, frequently I do feel embarrassed later. After an intense role 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." Is there? "I'm quite active in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."
Formative Drivers and Creative Inspirations
His tenacity originated in youthful setbacks. Not doing well in contests at school made him "driven!" This became fuel to demonstrate he could succeed. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.
The next challenge is creating his own dance works. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the rules is interesting, but just pretending 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 ideas from books, music, and painting.
Intimate Performance and Personal Partnership
He also favors presenting dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past experience. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made duets with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They aren’t usually matched 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."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Image
On Instagram, fans can see videos from his dance films and photos that showcase a sculpted form. Does he care that the engagement can be a bit focused on appearance? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he explains. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on multiple levels.
Ball describes his younger self as "eager for success." Did it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a separate thing to the aspirations you made as a young person," he reflects. He likely has about decade of dancing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
