Within the quiet atmosphere of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's posture is naturally upright, his limbs muscular beneath a simple tee. On stage, dancers can appear like powerful deities, yet often offstage they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is part of his demand for princely roles and pas de deux work. Possessing delicate traits and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Rise to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced little teasing for his early interest in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved directly into the troupe and was promoted each year, attaining the top rank of principal in 2018. He has relished tackling substantial dramatic roles, particularly the emotional turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
His upcoming starring appearance is as himself, in an "Evening With" series aiming to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a dancer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a role, demonstrating his mental process while performance. Even in lighter ballets, the challenge is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he notes.
The Psychological Game and Post-Performance Emotions
What about after a show, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the role, frequently I do feel self-conscious afterwards. After Mayerling I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer previously observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very active in general, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for good change."
Early Motivations and Artistic Inspirations
His determination originated in early setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" This became motivation to prove he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.
An upcoming endeavor is creating his own dance works. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the conventions 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 loaded with substance, drawing ideas from books, music, and art.
Close-Up Dance and Personal Dynamic
He also favors staging dance in smaller venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous 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 created pieces with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They are not usually matched on stage at their home company, which is perhaps 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 favorite cheerleader."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Perception
On social media, fans can see clips from his projects and photos that showcase a athletic form. Does he care that the response can be a bit objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on multiple ways.
Ball describes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it lived up to his hopes? "I feel very aware of how reality is a different thing to the dreams you had as a young person," he reflects. He likely has another ten years of dancing ahead. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
