Within the hushed atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's posture is effortlessly upright, his arms muscular beneath a simple tee. On stage, ballet dancers can appear like mighty deities, yet frequently in person they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his demand for heroic characters and partnering. Possessing fine features and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Rise to the Top
Now 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has advanced smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered minimal teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved straight into the troupe and was promoted annually, reaching the highest position of principal in 2018. He has loved taking on substantial characters, especially the emotional turmoil found in a famed choreographer's works.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
His upcoming starring role is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series aiming to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a dancer's art. He will walk the audience through a role, showing his mental workflow during performance. Even in lighter ballets, the test is significant. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.
The Psychological Struggle and Post-Performance Feelings
How does he feel after a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the character, frequently I do feel self-conscious later. After Mayerling I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. But a dance maker previously remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite active usually, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for positive change."
Early Drivers and Artistic Inspirations
His tenacity originated in early setbacks. Not excelling in contests at school made him "driven!" This became fuel to prove 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.
An upcoming endeavor is making 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 loaded with substance, drawing inspiration from literature, music, and painting.
Intimate Dance and Personal Dynamic
He additionally favors staging 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 sweating.'"
Ball has created duets with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple are not typically paired 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 admits. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."
On Social Media and Physical Image
On Instagram, fans can see clips from his projects and photos that highlight a athletic physique. Does he care that the engagement can be somewhat objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on multiple ways.
Ball characterizes his early self as "eager for success." Did it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how life is a separate reality to the aspirations you made as a young person," he reflects. He probably has another ten years of performing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
