In the quiet atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's posture is effortlessly straight-backed, his arms muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, ballet dancers can appear like mighty gods, yet frequently in person they are small. 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 touch of a brooding actor about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal ridicule for his early interest in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved directly into the company and was promoted annually, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished tackling meaty characters, particularly the emotional turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
His next starring appearance is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event aiming to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a performer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a part, showing his cognitive process during performance. Yet in lighter ballets, the challenge is significant. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he notes.
The Mental Struggle and After the Show Emotions
How does he feel following a performance, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get lost in the role, frequently I do feel self-conscious afterwards. After an intense role I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. But a choreographer once observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite energetic in general, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for positive change."
Formative Motivations and Artistic Influences
Ball's tenacity originated in early 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 changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.
The next endeavor is creating his own choreography. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the rules is interesting, 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 filled with substance, drawing ideas from books, music, and art.
Close-Up Performance and Personal Partnership
He additionally favors staging dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous show. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has created duets with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple are not typically matched on stage at their home company, which is perhaps 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 favorite supporter."
On Social Media and Bodily Perception
On social media, fans can see clips from his projects and images that showcase a sculpted physique. Does he care that the response can be somewhat objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on various levels.
Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Did it lived up to his hopes? "I am conscious of how life is a separate thing to the aspirations you made as a young person," he muses. He probably has another ten years of performing left. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
