In the quiet atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His posture is effortlessly upright, his arms defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. During performances, dancers can appear as mighty gods, yet frequently in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is part of his popularity for heroic characters and pas de deux work. Possessing delicate features and intense eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Top
Now 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered little ridicule for his early interest in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the company and was promoted annually, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved tackling substantial characters, especially the psychological turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
Ball's next featured appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series designed to offer intimate perspectives into a dancer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a part, showing his mental process while execution. Yet in more comedic works, the test is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding technically," he states.
The Psychological Struggle and After the Show Emotions
What about following a performance, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he says. "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 Mayerling I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer previously remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite energetic in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for positive change."
Formative Drivers and Artistic Influences
His tenacity originated in youthful experiences. Not doing well in contests at school made him "driven!" This became motivation to prove he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.
An upcoming endeavor is creating his own choreography. In his view, "organic movement has value." "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 aims his work to be filled with meaning, drawing inspiration from books, music, and painting.
Intimate Dance and Personal Dynamic
He also is interested in staging dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has created pieces with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They are not usually matched on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."
On Social Media and Bodily Perception
On Instagram, fans can see clips from his projects and photos that showcase a athletic form. Does he mind that the response can be somewhat objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on multiple ways.
Ball describes his early self as "desperate for success." Has it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how life is a separate thing to the aspirations you had as a young person," he reflects. He likely has another decade of performing ahead. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
