In the quiet atmosphere of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is effortlessly straight-backed, his arms defined beneath a simple tee. On stage, dancers can seem as mighty deities, yet frequently offstage they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his popularity for heroic characters and partnering. With fine features and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle
Now 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered minimal teasing for his early passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved directly into the troupe and was promoted each year, reaching the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished taking on meaty dramatic roles, particularly the emotional turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
Ball's upcoming featured appearance is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" series designed to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a dancer's craft. He will walk the audience through a role, demonstrating his mental workflow while execution. Even in more comedic works, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest technically," he states.
The Psychological Game and After the Show Feelings
How does he feel following a performance, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the character, quite often I do feel self-conscious later. Following Mayerling I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker previously observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very energetic in general, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for good change."
Early Motivations and Creative Inspirations
Ball's determination originated in youthful setbacks. Not doing well in contests at school made him "driven!" This became motivation to demonstrate he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.
The next challenge is creating his own dance works. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging 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 wants his work to be loaded with meaning, drawing ideas from literature, compositions, and art.
Intimate Performance and Private Partnership
He also is interested in presenting dance in smaller venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous show. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made duets with his partner, 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 was like Dirty Dancing." The couple are not usually matched on stage at their home company, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he admits. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."
On Social Media and Bodily Image
On Instagram, followers can see videos from his dance films and photos that showcase a athletic form. Does he mind that the engagement can be a bit objectifying? 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 ways.
Ball describes his younger self as "eager for success." Did it lived up to his hopes? "I am conscious of how reality is a separate reality to the aspirations you had as a child," he reflects. He likely has another ten years of dancing left. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
