In the hushed atmosphere of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His carriage is effortlessly upright, his limbs defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. During performances, dancers can seem as powerful deities, yet often offstage they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his popularity for princely roles and partnering. Possessing delicate features and intense eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.
A Seamless Rise to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has advanced smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered little ridicule for his childhood passion in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved straight into the troupe and was advanced each year, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished taking on substantial characters, particularly the emotional turmoil found in a famed choreographer's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
His upcoming featured appearance is as himself, in an "In Conversation" series designed to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a dancer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a part, demonstrating his mental process during execution. Yet in lighter works, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.
The Mental Struggle and Post-Performance Feelings
What about following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the role, frequently I do feel self-conscious later. Following an intense role I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is reflective, polite, 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 active in general, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for positive change."
Early Motivations and Artistic Influences
His determination stemmed from youthful experiences. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" This became fuel to demonstrate he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.
An upcoming challenge is creating his own dance works. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the rules is interesting, 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 filled with meaning, drawing ideas from books, compositions, and art.
Close-Up Performance and Private Partnership
He also is interested in staging dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous show. "You’re so near to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made pieces with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t typically matched 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. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."
On Social Media and Physical Perception
On Instagram, fans can see clips from his projects and images that showcase a athletic physique. Does he care that the response can be a bit focused on appearance? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he explains. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on various levels.
Ball characterizes his early self as "desperate for success." Has it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a different thing to the aspirations you made as a child," he muses. He probably has about decade of dancing ahead. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
