In the hushed ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His posture is naturally upright, his limbs defined beneath a plain tee. On stage, ballet dancers can appear as mighty gods, yet frequently offstage they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his demand for heroic roles and pas de deux work. With delicate features and intense eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Top
Now 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has advanced smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his childhood interest in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated directly into the troupe and was promoted annually, attaining the highest position of principal in 2018. He has loved taking on substantial characters, particularly the psychological angst found in a famed choreographer's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
Ball's upcoming starring appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" event designed to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a dancer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a role, demonstrating his cognitive process while performance. Even in lighter ballets, the challenge is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.
The Mental Game and After the Show Emotions
How does he feel following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the character, quite often I do feel embarrassed later. Following Mayerling I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. But a choreographer once observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very active usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for good change."
Formative Motivations and Artistic Inspirations
Ball's determination originated in youthful experiences. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "driven!" This became motivation to demonstrate he could succeed. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.
An upcoming endeavor is creating his own dance works. For Ball, "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 wants his work to be filled with substance, drawing inspiration from books, compositions, and painting.
Intimate Dance and Private Partnership
He additionally is interested in staging dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has created pieces with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They aren’t usually paired on stage at their home company, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Image
On Instagram, fans can see videos from his projects and images that showcase a athletic form. Does he mind that the engagement can be somewhat objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on multiple levels.
Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how life is a separate thing to the aspirations you had as a child," he reflects. He probably has another ten years of performing ahead. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."