Within the quiet ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's posture is effortlessly upright, his arms defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can seem like mighty gods, yet often in person they are petite. Not so Ball, whose height is part of his demand for heroic roles and pas de deux work. With fine features and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Rise to the Top
At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered minimal teasing for his early interest in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated directly into the troupe and was promoted annually, attaining the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished tackling substantial dramatic roles, especially the emotional angst found in a famed choreographer's ballets.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
His upcoming featured appearance is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event aiming to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a dancer's craft. He will guide the audience through a role, showing his cognitive process during execution. Even in lighter ballets, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he notes.
The Mental Game and After the Show Emotions
What about following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get lost in the role, frequently I do feel embarrassed afterwards. 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 "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very energetic in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for good change."
Early Motivations and Artistic Inspirations
His tenacity stemmed from early experiences. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "driven!" This became fuel to prove he could succeed. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.
An upcoming challenge is making his own choreography. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the conventions is compelling, but just pretending that they’re not a reality any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He wants his work to be loaded with meaning, drawing ideas from literature, compositions, and art.
Close-Up Performance and Private Dynamic
He additionally favors presenting dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous show. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has made pieces with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of faith between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They aren’t typically 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 admits. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."
On Social Media and Physical Perception
On Instagram, followers can see videos from his projects and photos that showcase a athletic form. Does he care 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 explains. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on various levels.
Ball describes his early self as "eager for success." Has it lived up to his expectations? "I feel very aware of how reality is a separate thing to the aspirations you had as a young person," he muses. He probably has another decade of performing left. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
