Within the quiet ambiance of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's posture is naturally upright, his limbs defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, ballet dancers can seem like powerful gods, yet often offstage they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his demand for princely characters and partnering. With fine traits and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Rise to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has advanced smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced little teasing for his early interest in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated straight into the company and was promoted annually, attaining the highest position of principal in 2018. He has relished taking on substantial characters, particularly the psychological turmoil found in a famed choreographer's works.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
His next featured role is as himself, in an "In Conversation" event aiming to offer intimate insights into a performer's art. He will walk the crowd through a part, showing his cognitive workflow while performance. Even in more comedic works, the challenge is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he notes.
The Psychological Game and After the Show Feelings
How does he feel after a show, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the character, frequently I do feel embarrassed later. Following Mayerling I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer previously remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very active in general, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for positive change."
Early Drivers and Artistic Inspirations
His determination originated in youthful experiences. Not excelling 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 fanatical," he remembers.
The next endeavor is making his own choreography. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the conventions 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 inspiration from literature, music, and art.
Intimate Performance and Private Partnership
He additionally is interested in staging dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past experience. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has created duets with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They aren’t usually paired on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps 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 favorite supporter."
On Social Media and Physical Image
On Instagram, fans can see videos from his projects and photos that showcase a athletic form. Does he care that the response 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 viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on various ways.
Ball characterizes his younger self as "eager for success." Has it lived up to his hopes? "I feel very aware of how life is a different thing to the dreams you made as a child," he reflects. He likely has another ten years of performing ahead. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
