Within the hushed ambiance of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His carriage is naturally upright, his arms defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, dancers can appear like mighty gods, yet frequently in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is part of his demand for princely characters and partnering. With delicate traits and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Rise to the Top
At 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his early interest in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the troupe and was promoted each year, attaining the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished tackling meaty characters, especially the emotional angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
His next featured appearance is as himself, in an "In Conversation" event designed to offer intimate perspectives into a dancer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a part, showing his mental workflow during execution. Yet in lighter ballets, the test is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.
The Psychological Struggle and Post-Performance Feelings
How does he feel after a performance, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the character, frequently I do feel self-conscious afterwards. After an intense role I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. But a choreographer once observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite active in general, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for positive change."
Early Drivers and Creative Inspirations
His tenacity originated in youthful experiences. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" This became motivation to prove he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.
An upcoming challenge is making his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the rules 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 books, music, and art.
Close-Up Performance and Private Partnership
He also is interested in staging dance in more intimate spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past experience. "You’re so close to the audience. 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 faith between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They aren’t usually paired on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite supporter."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Image
On Instagram, fans can see videos from his projects and images that showcase a athletic form. Does he care that the engagement can be a bit objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on multiple ways.
Ball describes his younger self as "eager for success." Has it lived up to his hopes? "I feel very aware of how reality is a different reality to the aspirations you made as a young person," he reflects. He probably has another ten years of dancing ahead. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
