In the hushed atmosphere of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His posture is effortlessly straight-backed, his arms muscular beneath a plain tee. On stage, dancers can seem as mighty gods, yet often in person they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his popularity for princely characters and partnering. With fine features and piercing eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle
Now 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered little teasing for his early passion in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated directly into the company and was advanced annually, reaching the top rank of principal in 2018. He has loved tackling meaty characters, especially the psychological angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
Ball's upcoming featured appearance is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" series aiming to offer intimate perspectives into a dancer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a part, demonstrating his mental workflow during execution. Even in more comedic ballets, the test is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he notes.
The Psychological Struggle and Post-Performance Emotions
What about following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the role, frequently I do feel embarrassed later. After an intense role I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker previously observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite active in general, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for good change."
Formative Drivers and Creative Inspirations
Ball's determination originated in youthful setbacks. Not excelling in contests at school made him "driven!" It was fuel to demonstrate he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.
The next endeavor is making his own dance works. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the conventions is compelling, but just acting 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 meaning, drawing ideas from literature, compositions, and art.
Close-Up Dance and Private Dynamic
He additionally is interested in staging dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past show. "You’re so near to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has made pieces with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They are not usually paired on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Image
On social media, fans can see clips from his dance films and images that highlight a sculpted 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 protective about it," he explains. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on multiple ways.
Ball describes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it lived up to his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a separate thing to the dreams you made as a child," he muses. He likely has another decade of dancing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
