Within the hushed atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is effortlessly upright, his arms muscular beneath a simple tee. On stage, dancers can seem like mighty deities, yet often in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is part of his demand for heroic characters and pas de deux work. Possessing delicate features and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Rise to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered minimal ridicule for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the troupe and was promoted each year, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on substantial characters, particularly the psychological angst found in a famed choreographer's ballets.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
His next featured role is in a talk, in an "Evening With" event designed to offer intimate perspectives into a dancer's art. He will walk the audience through a role, showing his mental process while performance. Yet in more comedic ballets, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he notes.
The Mental Game and Post-Performance Emotions
What about after a performance, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the character, quite often I do feel self-conscious later. Following an intense role I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. But a choreographer once observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very energetic usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for good change."
Early Motivations and Artistic Influences
His determination originated in early experiences. Not doing well in contests at school made him "driven!" It was fuel to prove he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.
The next challenge is making his own choreography. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging 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 meaning, drawing ideas from literature, music, and art.
Close-Up Performance and Private Partnership
He additionally is interested in presenting dance in more intimate spaces. "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 human, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has created duets with his partner, fellow principal 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." The couple are not typically matched 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. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite supporter."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Perception
On social media, fans can see videos from his projects and images that showcase a sculpted physique. Does he mind that the response can be somewhat objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on various ways.
Ball characterizes his early self as "eager for success." Did it lived up to his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a separate thing to the aspirations you had as a young person," he reflects. He probably has another decade of dancing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
