In the quiet atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His posture is naturally straight-backed, his limbs muscular beneath a simple white T-shirt. On stage, dancers can appear as powerful gods, yet frequently offstage they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his popularity for heroic roles and partnering. With delicate traits and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Top
At 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has progressed smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his early passion in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved straight into the company and was advanced each year, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished tackling meaty dramatic roles, particularly the emotional angst found in a famed choreographer's works.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
Ball's next featured role is as himself, in an "In Conversation" series aiming to offer intimate perspectives into a performer's craft. He will guide the audience through a role, demonstrating his mental process during performance. Yet in lighter works, the test is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding technically," he notes.
The Mental Struggle and Post-Performance Emotions
How does he feel following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the role, frequently I do feel self-conscious afterwards. After Mayerling I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. But a choreographer previously remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very energetic in general, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."
Formative Motivations and Artistic Inspirations
His determination stemmed from youthful setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" It was motivation to prove he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.
The next challenge is creating his own dance works. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the conventions is compelling, 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 books, compositions, and art.
Close-Up Dance and Private Partnership
He also is interested in staging dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so near to the viewers. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made pieces with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They are not usually matched on stage at their home company, which is perhaps beneficial. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Perception
On Instagram, followers can see clips from his projects and images that highlight a athletic physique. Does he mind that the engagement can be a bit objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, 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 multiple levels.
Ball describes his early self as "eager for success." Has it met his expectations? "I feel very aware of how reality is a different reality to the aspirations you had as a young person," he muses. He probably has another decade of dancing ahead. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
