In the hushed ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's posture is naturally straight-backed, his limbs muscular beneath a simple white T-shirt. On stage, ballet dancers can appear like powerful gods, yet frequently in person they are petite. Not so Ball, whose height is part of his demand for princely roles and partnering. Possessing delicate traits and piercing eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Rise to the Top
Now 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced little ridicule for his early interest in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated straight into the company and was promoted annually, reaching the highest position of principal in 2018. He has relished tackling substantial characters, 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."
Ball's next starring appearance is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" series aiming to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a performer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a role, demonstrating his mental process while execution. Even in more comedic ballets, the test is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding technically," he states.
The Psychological Game and After the Show Emotions
How does he feel following a show, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the character, frequently I do feel self-conscious later. After an intense role I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. But a dance maker once observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite active in general, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for positive change."
Formative Drivers and Artistic Influences
Ball's determination originated in youthful experiences. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" It was motivation to demonstrate he could succeed. Discovering 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. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the rules 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 aims his work to be filled with substance, drawing ideas from literature, music, and painting.
Close-Up Dance and Personal Dynamic
He additionally favors staging dance in more intimate spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past experience. "You’re so near to the viewers. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has created pieces with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They are not usually matched on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."
On Social Media and Bodily Image
On Instagram, fans can see videos from his dance films and images that highlight a athletic physique. Does he mind that the response can be a bit focused on appearance? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on various ways.
Ball characterizes his early self as "desperate for success." Did it met his hopes? "I am conscious of how life is a different reality to the dreams you had as a young person," he muses. He likely has about decade of performing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
