In the quiet ambiance of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His posture is naturally upright, his limbs defined beneath a simple white T-shirt. On stage, dancers can seem as powerful gods, yet frequently offstage they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is part of his demand for heroic roles and pas de deux work. Possessing fine traits and piercing eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle
Now 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered minimal ridicule for his childhood interest in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the troupe and was advanced each year, reaching the top rank of principal in 2018. He has relished tackling meaty dramatic roles, particularly 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."
Ball's next starring role is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" series designed to offer intimate insights into a dancer's art. He will walk the audience through a role, showing his cognitive workflow while performance. Even in more comedic ballets, the challenge is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he notes.
The Psychological Struggle and After the Show Emotions
What about following a show, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the role, frequently I do feel embarrassed later. After an intense role I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer once observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very active in general, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for positive change."
Early Motivations and Artistic Inspirations
Ball's tenacity stemmed from youthful setbacks. Not excelling in contests at school made him "vengeful!" It was fuel to prove he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, 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." "Challenging the conventions 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 loaded with meaning, drawing inspiration from books, music, and painting.
Intimate Dance and Personal Partnership
He also is interested in presenting dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past show. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a human, 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 audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple are not usually paired on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."
On Social Media and Bodily Image
On social media, followers can see videos from his projects and images that highlight a sculpted physique. Does he mind that the engagement can be a bit objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on multiple levels.
Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it met his hopes? "I am conscious of how reality is a different thing to the dreams you made as a child," he muses. He probably has about ten years of performing ahead. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
