Within the quiet ambiance of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is naturally straight-backed, his limbs muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, dancers can seem as mighty deities, yet often in person they are petite. Not so Ball, whose height is part of his demand for princely roles and partnering. Possessing fine traits and piercing eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Rise to the Top
At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced little ridicule for his early interest in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated straight into the company and was promoted each year, reaching the highest position of principal in 2018. He has loved taking on meaty characters, particularly the psychological angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
Ball's upcoming featured role is as himself, in an "Evening With" event designed to offer intimate insights into a dancer's art. He will walk the audience through a role, demonstrating his cognitive workflow while execution. Even in lighter ballets, the challenge is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he states.
The Mental Game and After the Show Emotions
What about following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to squeeze 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 like: God, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer previously remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very energetic usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for good change."
Formative Drivers and Artistic Inspirations
His determination stemmed from youthful experiences. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" This became motivation to demonstrate he could succeed. Discovering 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 making his own dance works. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Challenging 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 loaded with substance, drawing ideas from books, music, and painting.
Close-Up Dance and Private Dynamic
He additionally is interested in staging dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past experience. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has created pieces with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t typically paired on stage at their main theater, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."
On Social Media and Physical Perception
On Instagram, followers can see videos from his dance films and photos that showcase a sculpted form. Does he mind that the response can be a bit objectifying? Not really. "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 early self as "desperate for success." Has it met his expectations? "I feel very aware of how reality is a different reality to the aspirations you made as a young person," he muses. He probably has about ten years of performing ahead. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
