Within the hushed atmosphere of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is effortlessly straight-backed, his limbs muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. During performances, dancers can appear like mighty deities, yet frequently in person they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is part of his popularity for heroic roles and partnering. With delicate features and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his early interest in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated straight into the troupe and was advanced each year, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished tackling meaty characters, particularly the psychological turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
His upcoming starring appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series aiming to offer intimate perspectives into a performer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a part, demonstrating his cognitive workflow while performance. Yet in lighter ballets, the challenge is significant. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.
The Mental Struggle and After the Show Feelings
How does he feel following a performance, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the role, quite often I do feel embarrassed afterwards. Following Mayerling I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer previously observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very active in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for positive change."
Formative Motivations and Creative Inspirations
His determination stemmed from early setbacks. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" It was fuel to demonstrate he could succeed. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.
An upcoming challenge is creating his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the rules is compelling, 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 inspiration from literature, music, and painting.
Close-Up Performance and Private Partnership
He also favors 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 realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made pieces with his partner, 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 resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t typically paired on stage at their main theater, which might be healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite supporter."
On Social Media and Bodily Perception
On Instagram, followers can see videos from his projects and photos that highlight a athletic physique. Does he mind that the engagement can be a bit focused on appearance? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on various ways.
Ball describes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it met his hopes? "I am conscious of how life is a different reality to the dreams you made as a child," he muses. He probably has about ten years of performing left. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
