Within the hushed ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His posture is effortlessly straight-backed, his limbs defined beneath a simple white T-shirt. On stage, dancers can appear like mighty deities, yet frequently offstage they are petite. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his popularity for princely characters and pas de deux work. With fine features and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Top
At 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered minimal teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated directly into the troupe and was advanced annually, attaining the highest position of principal in 2018. He has relished tackling substantial characters, particularly the emotional turmoil found in a famed choreographer's ballets.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
His next starring appearance is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event aiming to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a performer's art. He will guide the crowd through a role, demonstrating his cognitive process during performance. Yet in more comedic works, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he states.
The Mental Struggle and After the Show Feelings
How does he feel following a show, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice 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?"
In person, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker previously remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very active 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 positive change."
Formative Drivers and Creative Influences
His determination originated in early setbacks. Not doing well in contests at school made him "vengeful!" This became motivation to prove he could succeed. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.
An upcoming endeavor is making his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Breaking 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 aims his work to be filled with substance, drawing inspiration from literature, compositions, and art.
Intimate Dance and Private Dynamic
He also is interested in presenting dance in smaller venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous show. "You’re so near to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has created pieces with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They aren’t typically matched on stage at their home company, which might be healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Image
On Instagram, fans can see videos from his dance films and photos that highlight a athletic form. Does he mind that the response can be somewhat objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on multiple levels.
Ball characterizes his early self as "eager for success." Has it lived up to his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a separate thing to the dreams you had as a young person," he reflects. He probably has about decade of dancing left. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
