Within the hushed ambiance of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's posture is effortlessly upright, his limbs muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, ballet dancers can seem like mighty gods, yet frequently in person they are petite. Not so Ball, whose height is part of his popularity for princely characters and partnering. Possessing fine features and piercing eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.
A Seamless Rise to the Top
Now 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has progressed smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered minimal ridicule for his early passion in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved straight into the troupe and was promoted each year, attaining the top rank of principal in 2018. He has relished taking on substantial dramatic roles, especially the emotional angst found in a famed choreographer's works.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
His upcoming featured role is as himself, in an "In Conversation" event aiming to offer intimate perspectives into a performer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a role, showing his cognitive process during execution. Yet in lighter works, the challenge is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding technically," he states.
The Mental Struggle and Post-Performance Emotions
How does he feel after a show, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get lost in the role, quite often I do feel self-conscious afterwards. After an intense role I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. But a dance maker once observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very active in general, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for positive change."
Early Motivations and Creative Inspirations
His tenacity stemmed from youthful setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "driven!" This became fuel to demonstrate he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.
An upcoming endeavor is creating his own choreography. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the conventions is compelling, but just acting 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 literature, compositions, and painting.
Close-Up Dance and Private Partnership
He additionally favors staging dance in more intimate spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past experience. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made duets with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They are not usually paired on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he admits. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite supporter."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Image
On social media, followers can see videos from his projects and photos that highlight a athletic form. Does he mind that the response can be somewhat focused on appearance? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on various ways.
Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it lived up to his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a separate thing to the dreams you made as a child," he reflects. He probably has about decade of dancing left. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
