In the hushed atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's posture is effortlessly straight-backed, his arms defined beneath a plain tee. During performances, ballet dancers can seem like mighty deities, yet frequently offstage they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is part of his demand for princely characters and partnering. With fine traits and piercing eyes, there's a hint 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. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered little teasing for his childhood interest in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved straight into the troupe and was advanced each year, reaching the top rank of principal in 2018. He has relished taking on meaty characters, particularly the psychological angst found in a famed choreographer's ballets.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
His next featured appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" event aiming to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a dancer's art. He will guide the audience through a role, demonstrating his cognitive process during performance. Even in lighter ballets, the test is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest technically," he states.
The Mental Struggle and After the Show Feelings
What about following a performance, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the character, quite often I do feel embarrassed later. Following an intense role I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer previously observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite active in general, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for positive change."
Early Drivers and Artistic Influences
His tenacity originated in early setbacks. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "driven!" This became fuel to demonstrate he could succeed. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.
The next endeavor is creating his own choreography. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the conventions is compelling, but just pretending that they’re not a reality any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He wants his work to be loaded with meaning, drawing inspiration from books, compositions, and painting.
Close-Up Performance and Private Partnership
He also favors presenting dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past experience. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a human, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has created duets with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of faith between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They are not usually paired on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps beneficial. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite supporter."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Perception
On social media, fans can see clips from his projects and images that showcase a athletic form. Does he mind that the response can be somewhat focused on appearance? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on various levels.
Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it lived up to his hopes? "I feel very aware of how reality is a different reality to the aspirations you had as a young person," he reflects. He probably has about ten years of performing left. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
