Within the hushed ambiance of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is naturally straight-backed, his arms defined beneath a plain tee. During performances, ballet dancers can seem as powerful deities, yet frequently in person they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for princely roles and partnering. With fine traits and intense eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Rise to the Pinnacle
Now 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered minimal ridicule for his childhood passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the troupe and was promoted annually, attaining the top rank of principal in 2018. He has relished taking on meaty characters, especially the emotional angst found in a famed choreographer's works.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
Ball's next featured role is as himself, in an "Evening With" series aiming to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a performer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a role, showing his mental process during performance. Yet in more comedic ballets, the test is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding technically," he notes.
The Mental Game and After the Show Emotions
What about following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the character, frequently I do feel self-conscious afterwards. Following Mayerling I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker once remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite energetic usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for good change."
Formative Motivations and Artistic Inspirations
Ball's determination stemmed from youthful experiences. Not excelling in contests at school made him "driven!" This became motivation to prove he could succeed. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.
The next challenge is making his own dance works. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the rules is compelling, but just acting 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 loaded with meaning, drawing inspiration from literature, compositions, and art.
Close-Up Dance and Personal Dynamic
He also is interested in presenting dance in smaller venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous show. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has created duets with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They are not typically matched on stage at their home company, which might be 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 biggest supporter."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Perception
On social media, fans can see clips from his projects and photos that showcase a athletic form. Does he mind that the response can be somewhat objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on multiple levels.
Ball characterizes his early self as "desperate for success." Did it met his hopes? "I am conscious of how reality is a different reality to the aspirations you had as a child," he reflects. He likely has about ten years of performing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
