Within the hushed atmosphere of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is effortlessly upright, his arms muscular beneath a simple white T-shirt. During performances, dancers can appear like powerful gods, yet often in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is part of his demand for princely roles and pas de deux work. With fine traits and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Rise to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Growing up 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 advanced annually, attaining the highest position of principal in 2018. He has relished tackling substantial dramatic roles, especially the psychological angst found in a famed choreographer's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
Ball's upcoming featured role is as himself, in an "Evening With" event aiming to offer intimate insights into a performer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a role, demonstrating his mental process while performance. Yet in lighter works, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.
The Mental Game and Post-Performance Emotions
How does he feel after a show, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the character, quite often I do feel self-conscious afterwards. Following an intense role I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. But a choreographer once remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite active in general, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for positive change."
Early Motivations and Artistic Inspirations
Ball's determination stemmed from youthful setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "driven!" This became motivation to demonstrate he could succeed. 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 creating his own dance works. In his view, "organic movement has value." "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 filled with substance, drawing ideas from literature, music, and painting.
Intimate Dance and Private Partnership
He also is interested in staging dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past show. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has created pieces with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They aren’t usually paired on stage at their main theater, 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."
On Social Media and Bodily Image
On social media, fans can see videos from his projects and photos that showcase a sculpted form. Does he mind that the engagement can be somewhat objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on various ways.
Ball characterizes his early self as "eager for success." Has it met his expectations? "I feel very aware of how reality is a separate 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."
