Within the hushed atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His posture is naturally upright, his limbs defined beneath a simple tee. On stage, dancers can seem as mighty gods, yet frequently in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his popularity for princely characters and partnering. With delicate traits and intense eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle
Now 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered little teasing for his early interest in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the company and was promoted each year, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on substantial dramatic roles, especially the emotional angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
His upcoming starring appearance is as himself, in an "Evening With" series aiming to offer intimate insights into a dancer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a part, demonstrating his mental workflow during execution. Even in more comedic works, the test is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding 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 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, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. But a dance maker previously observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite energetic in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for good change."
Early Motivations and Creative Inspirations
His determination stemmed from early setbacks. Not doing well in contests at school made him "vengeful!" It was motivation to prove he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.
An upcoming endeavor is making his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the rules is interesting, but just acting that they’re not a reality any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He wants his work to be filled with meaning, drawing inspiration from literature, music, and painting.
Intimate Dance and Personal Partnership
He additionally is interested in staging dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has created pieces with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They are not usually paired on stage at their home company, which is perhaps beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he admits. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Perception
On social media, fans can see clips from his projects and images that showcase a athletic physique. Does he care that the response can be somewhat focused on appearance? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he explains. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on various levels.
Ball characterizes his younger self as "eager for success." Did it lived up to his expectations? "I feel very aware of how life is a different reality to the aspirations you made as a young person," he muses. He likely has about decade of dancing left. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
