Within the hushed atmosphere of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is naturally upright, his limbs muscular beneath a simple tee. On stage, dancers can appear like powerful deities, yet frequently offstage they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is part of his popularity for princely characters and pas de deux work. With fine features and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Pinnacle
Now 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has advanced smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced minimal 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 top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished taking on substantial dramatic roles, especially the emotional turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
Ball's upcoming featured role is as himself, in an "In Conversation" event designed to offer intimate insights into a performer's art. He will walk the audience through a role, showing his cognitive workflow during execution. Even in more comedic ballets, the test is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding technically," he states.
The Psychological Game and Post-Performance Feelings
What about following a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get lost in the character, quite often I do feel embarrassed later. After an intense role I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. But a dance maker once remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite energetic in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for positive change."
Formative Drivers and Artistic Inspirations
His tenacity originated in early experiences. Not doing well in contests at school made him "driven!" It was motivation to prove he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.
An upcoming endeavor is creating his own choreography. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the rules is compelling, 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 filled with substance, drawing inspiration from literature, music, and art.
Close-Up Performance and Private Dynamic
He also favors staging dance in more intimate 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 thinking: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has created duets 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." They aren’t typically matched on stage at their main theater, which might be 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 biggest supporter."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Image
On Instagram, fans can see clips from his projects and photos that highlight a athletic physique. Does he care that the response can be somewhat objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on multiple ways.
Ball characterizes his early self as "desperate for success." Did it lived up to his expectations? "I am conscious of how life is a different reality to the dreams you made as a young person," he reflects. He likely has about decade of performing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
