Within the hushed ambiance of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is naturally straight-backed, his arms muscular beneath a plain tee. During performances, ballet dancers can seem like powerful deities, yet frequently in person they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his demand for princely characters and pas de deux work. Possessing fine features and intense eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.
A Seamless Rise to the Top
At 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered little ridicule for his early interest in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved directly into the troupe and was promoted each year, reaching the top rank of principal in 2018. He has loved tackling substantial dramatic roles, 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."
Ball's upcoming starring appearance is as himself, in an "In Conversation" series designed to offer intimate insights into a performer's art. He will walk the crowd through a role, showing his mental process during execution. Even in lighter works, the test is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.
The Mental Game and Post-Performance Feelings
How does he feel after a performance, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get lost in the role, quite often I do feel embarrassed afterwards. Following an intense role I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a dance maker once observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very energetic usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for good change."
Formative Motivations and Creative Inspirations
His determination stemmed from early experiences. Not excelling in contests at school made him "driven!" It was fuel to demonstrate he could succeed. 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 dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the conventions 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 meaning, drawing inspiration from literature, music, and painting.
Close-Up Performance and Personal Dynamic
He additionally is interested in staging dance in smaller venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous show. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has created pieces with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t typically matched on stage at their home company, which is perhaps beneficial. "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."
On Social Media and Physical Perception
On Instagram, followers can see clips from his dance films and images that showcase a sculpted form. Does he care that the response can be a bit focused on appearance? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on multiple ways.
Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it met his hopes? "I feel very aware of how reality is a separate reality to the aspirations you had as a child," he muses. He likely has about ten years of dancing left. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
