In the hushed ambiance of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is naturally straight-backed, his arms muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, dancers can seem as powerful gods, yet frequently offstage they are petite. Not so Ball, whose height is one reason for his popularity for heroic roles and pas de deux work. Possessing fine features and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle
Now 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has advanced smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced minimal ridicule for his childhood passion in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved directly into the company and was advanced each year, reaching the highest position of principal in 2018. He has relished tackling substantial dramatic roles, especially the emotional angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
His next starring role is as himself, in an "Evening With" event designed to offer intimate perspectives into a dancer's art. He will guide the crowd through a part, demonstrating his mental workflow while performance. Yet in lighter ballets, the test is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding technically," he states.
The Psychological Game and Post-Performance Emotions
How does he feel after a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the role, frequently I do feel embarrassed later. After an intense role I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. But a dance maker once observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite energetic in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for good change."
Formative Motivations and Creative Inspirations
His tenacity originated in early setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" This became motivation to demonstrate he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.
An upcoming endeavor is making his own dance works. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the rules is compelling, but just acting 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 substance, drawing inspiration from literature, music, and art.
Close-Up Performance and Personal Dynamic
He additionally favors staging dance in smaller venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past show. "You’re so near 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 principal 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 paired on stage at their home company, which might be healthy. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."
On Social Media and Physical Image
On social media, followers can see clips from his dance films and photos that highlight a athletic form. Does he care that the response can be somewhat objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on various ways.
Ball describes his younger self as "eager for success." Has it lived up to his hopes? "I am conscious of how life is a separate thing to the aspirations you made as a young person," he reflects. He likely has another decade of dancing ahead. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
