Within the hushed ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His carriage is naturally upright, his arms defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, ballet dancers can appear like mighty gods, yet frequently in person they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is part of his demand for heroic roles and pas de deux work. Possessing delicate traits and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has advanced smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered little teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated directly into the troupe and was advanced annually, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished tackling meaty dramatic roles, especially the psychological angst found in a famed choreographer's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
Ball's next featured role is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series aiming to offer intimate perspectives into a dancer's art. He will guide the crowd through a part, showing his cognitive workflow during execution. Even in more comedic works, the challenge is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.
The Psychological Struggle and Post-Performance Emotions
How does he feel after a show, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get lost in the character, frequently I do feel self-conscious later. After Mayerling I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer previously observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite energetic usually, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."
Formative Motivations and Artistic Inspirations
Ball's tenacity stemmed from youthful setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" This became fuel to prove he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.
The next challenge is making his own choreography. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the conventions is interesting, 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 substance, drawing inspiration from books, compositions, and art.
Close-Up Performance and Private Partnership
He additionally is interested in 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 human, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has made pieces with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of faith between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple are not typically paired on stage at their home company, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Perception
On Instagram, followers can see videos from his projects and images that showcase a athletic form. Does he care that the engagement can be somewhat 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 interpreted on various ways.
Ball describes his early self as "desperate for success." Has it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a separate reality to the aspirations you made as a child," he muses. He probably has another ten years of performing left. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
