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 muscular beneath a simple tee. On stage, dancers can appear like powerful deities, yet frequently offstage they are petite. Not so Ball, whose height is one reason for his popularity for princely roles and partnering. With fine traits and intense eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Top
Now 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered little teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated straight into the troupe and was promoted each year, attaining the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on meaty dramatic roles, especially the psychological angst found in a famed choreographer's works.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
His upcoming featured appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" event designed to offer intimate perspectives into a performer's art. He will walk the audience through a role, demonstrating his mental workflow during performance. Yet in more comedic ballets, the challenge is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest technically," he notes.
The Mental Game and Post-Performance Emotions
What about following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the character, quite often I do feel embarrassed later. After Mayerling I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a dance maker previously observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite energetic usually, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for good change."
Early Motivations and Creative Influences
His tenacity originated in early setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "driven!" This became fuel to demonstrate 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.
An upcoming challenge is creating his own dance works. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the rules 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 meaning, drawing ideas from books, compositions, and painting.
Intimate Dance and Personal Partnership
He additionally is interested in presenting dance in more intimate spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past experience. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has created pieces with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple are not typically paired on stage at their main theater, which might be healthy. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Image
On Instagram, fans can see clips from his projects and photos that showcase a sculpted physique. Does he mind 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 seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on various ways.
Ball characterizes his early self as "desperate for success." Did it lived up to his hopes? "I am conscious of how reality is a different thing to the aspirations you made as a young person," he reflects. He likely has another ten years of performing ahead. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
