Within the hushed ambiance of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's posture is effortlessly upright, his arms defined beneath a simple tee. During performances, ballet dancers can appear like powerful gods, yet often offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his popularity for heroic characters and pas de deux work. Possessing fine traits and intense eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Top
Now 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered minimal ridicule for his early interest in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated straight into the company and was promoted annually, reaching the top rank of principal in 2018. He has relished tackling substantial dramatic roles, especially the psychological angst found in a famed choreographer's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
His next featured role is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event aiming to offer intimate perspectives into a dancer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a part, demonstrating his cognitive process while execution. Even in more comedic works, the challenge is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.
The Mental Struggle and After the Show Feelings
What about following a performance, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get lost in the role, quite often I do feel self-conscious afterwards. Following an intense role I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. But a choreographer previously remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very active in general, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for positive change."
Formative Drivers and Artistic Inspirations
His determination originated in youthful setbacks. Not excelling in contests at school made him "driven!" It was fuel to prove he could succeed. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.
The next challenge is creating his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the rules is compelling, but just acting 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 meaning, drawing ideas from books, compositions, and art.
Intimate Dance and Private Dynamic
He additionally favors staging dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past show. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has made duets with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t usually matched on stage at their main theater, which might be healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Image
On Instagram, fans can see videos from his projects and images that highlight a athletic form. Does he mind that the response can be a bit objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on various levels.
Ball characterizes his younger self as "eager for success." Has it lived up to his expectations? "I feel very aware of how reality is a different thing to the aspirations you made as a child," he muses. He likely has about ten years of dancing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
