In the hushed ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His posture is naturally straight-backed, his arms defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, dancers can seem as powerful gods, yet often offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is part of his demand for heroic characters and partnering. With fine traits and intense eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Top
At 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced little ridicule for his early passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved directly into the troupe and was promoted annually, attaining the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on substantial dramatic roles, especially the psychological turmoil found in a famed choreographer's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
Ball's next featured appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" event designed to offer intimate insights into a performer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a role, showing his cognitive process while execution. Even in lighter ballets, the challenge is significant. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding technically," he states.
The Mental Game and After the Show Emotions
How does he feel after a performance, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the role, quite often I do feel self-conscious later. After an intense role I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a dance maker once observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very active usually, 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 early setbacks. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" This became fuel to prove he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.
An upcoming challenge is making his own choreography. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the conventions is interesting, 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 loaded with meaning, drawing inspiration from literature, compositions, and painting.
Intimate Performance and Personal Partnership
He also is interested in staging dance in more intimate spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has created pieces with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of faith between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple are not typically paired on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps beneficial. "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 biggest supporter."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Perception
On social media, fans can see videos from his projects and photos that highlight a athletic physique. Does he mind that the engagement can be somewhat objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on various levels.
Ball characterizes his younger self as "eager for success." Has it met his expectations? "I feel very aware of how reality is a separate thing to the dreams you made as a young person," he reflects. He likely has another ten years of dancing left. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
