Within the hushed ambiance of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's posture is effortlessly straight-backed, his limbs defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, dancers can seem as powerful deities, yet often offstage they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose height is part of his popularity for princely roles and partnering. Possessing delicate features and piercing eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Top
Now 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has progressed smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered minimal teasing for his early interest in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved straight into the company and was promoted each year, attaining the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on substantial dramatic roles, especially the emotional turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.
"Your breath is short, 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 intimate insights into a dancer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a part, demonstrating his mental process during performance. Yet in lighter ballets, the test is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he notes.
The Psychological Struggle and Post-Performance Feelings
How does he feel following a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the character, quite often I do feel self-conscious afterwards. Following an intense role I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. But a dance maker once remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very energetic in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for positive change."
Formative Drivers and Creative Inspirations
His determination stemmed from youthful setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" This became fuel to demonstrate he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.
The next endeavor is creating his own choreography. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the rules is interesting, 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 filled with meaning, drawing ideas from literature, compositions, and painting.
Intimate Performance and Personal Partnership
He also favors presenting 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 person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has made duets with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple 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 admits. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."
On Social Media and Bodily Perception
On social media, followers can see videos from his dance films and images that highlight a sculpted physique. Does he mind that the engagement can be somewhat objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on multiple ways.
Ball characterizes his early self as "eager for success." Did it met his hopes? "I feel very aware of how life is a separate thing to the aspirations you made as a child," he muses. He likely has about decade of performing ahead. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
