In the hushed ambiance of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His posture is naturally straight-backed, his limbs muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, ballet dancers can appear like mighty gods, yet frequently in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his popularity for princely roles and pas de deux work. Possessing delicate features and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Rise to the Top
Now 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal ridicule for his early passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved directly into the troupe and was promoted annually, attaining the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on meaty characters, particularly the emotional turmoil found in a famed choreographer's works.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
His upcoming featured role is as himself, in an "In Conversation" series aiming to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a dancer's art. He will walk the audience through a part, demonstrating his cognitive process during performance. Even in more comedic ballets, the test is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he notes.
The Mental Struggle and After the Show Emotions
What about after a show, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the character, quite often I do feel embarrassed later. After an intense role I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer once remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very energetic in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."
Formative Motivations and Creative Influences
His tenacity stemmed from early setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "driven!" It was fuel to prove he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.
The next challenge is making his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the rules is compelling, 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 filled with meaning, drawing ideas from books, compositions, and art.
Close-Up Dance and Personal Partnership
He also favors staging dance in smaller venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past show. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made pieces with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They are not typically paired on stage at their home company, which might be healthy. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Perception
On Instagram, followers can see videos from his dance films and photos that highlight a sculpted form. Does he care that the response can be somewhat objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he explains. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on multiple levels.
Ball describes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it lived up to his hopes? "I am conscious of how life is a different thing to the aspirations you had as a child," he muses. He probably has about ten years of performing left. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
