Within the quiet ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His posture is effortlessly upright, his arms muscular beneath a simple tee. During performances, ballet dancers can appear like mighty gods, yet frequently offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his popularity for princely characters and pas de deux work. With fine traits and intense eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Top
At 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has progressed smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered minimal ridicule for his childhood interest in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the troupe and was promoted each year, attaining the highest position of principal in 2018. He has relished tackling meaty dramatic roles, especially 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 starring role is as himself, in an "In Conversation" event aiming to offer intimate insights into a dancer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a role, showing his cognitive workflow during performance. Even in lighter works, the challenge is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest technically," he notes.
The Mental Game and Post-Performance Emotions
What about following a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get lost in the role, quite often I do feel embarrassed later. After Mayerling I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. But a dance maker previously observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very active in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for good change."
Formative Drivers and Artistic Influences
His tenacity originated in early experiences. Not doing well in contests at school made him "driven!" This became fuel to demonstrate he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.
The next challenge is creating his own choreography. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the conventions is interesting, but just pretending 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 filled with meaning, drawing inspiration from literature, music, and art.
Intimate Performance and Private Partnership
He additionally is interested in staging dance in smaller venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past experience. "You’re so near to the viewers. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has created duets with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They are not typically paired on stage at their home company, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."
On Social Media and Bodily Perception
On Instagram, followers can see videos from his dance films and photos that showcase a athletic physique. 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 precious about it," he states. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on various levels.
Ball characterizes his early self as "desperate for success." Has it lived up to his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a separate reality to the dreams you had as a young person," he reflects. He likely has another ten years of performing left. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
