Within the hushed atmosphere of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's posture is effortlessly upright, his limbs muscular beneath a simple white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can appear like powerful deities, yet often in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for heroic roles and pas de deux work. Possessing delicate traits and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Top
At 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered minimal ridicule for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved directly into the company and was promoted annually, attaining the top rank of principal in 2018. He has loved taking on substantial characters, particularly the emotional turmoil found in a famed choreographer's works.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
Ball's upcoming featured appearance is as himself, in an "Evening With" series designed to offer intimate insights into a dancer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a role, showing his mental workflow during performance. Yet in lighter ballets, the test is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding technically," he notes.
The Psychological Struggle and After the Show Emotions
How does he feel following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get lost in the character, frequently I do feel self-conscious later. After Mayerling I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. But a choreographer once observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite active usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for good change."
Early Drivers and Artistic Influences
His tenacity stemmed from youthful experiences. Not doing well in contests at school made him "vengeful!" This became motivation to demonstrate he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.
The next endeavor is creating his own choreography. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "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 substance, drawing ideas from literature, compositions, and painting.
Close-Up Performance and Private Dynamic
He also is interested in presenting dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past experience. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made 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 was like Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t typically paired on stage at their home company, which might be healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he admits. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Image
On social media, followers can see clips from his projects and photos that showcase a athletic physique. Does he mind that the response can be somewhat objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on multiple ways.
Ball describes his early self as "eager for success." Did it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a separate reality to the dreams you had as a young person," he reflects. He probably has another ten years of dancing left. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
