Within the hushed atmosphere of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His carriage is effortlessly straight-backed, his limbs muscular beneath a simple tee. On stage, ballet dancers can appear like mighty gods, yet frequently offstage they are petite. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is part of his demand for princely roles and partnering. With fine traits and piercing eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle
Now 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered minimal teasing for his early passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the company and was promoted each year, attaining the highest position of principal in 2018. He has loved tackling 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."
Ball's next featured appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series aiming to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a performer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a role, showing his cognitive workflow during performance. Yet in more comedic works, the test is significant. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest technically," he notes.
The Psychological Game and After the Show Feelings
How does he feel after a show, when he has succeeded? "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, frequently I do feel embarrassed later. After an intense role I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, 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 active in general, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for positive change."
Formative Motivations and Creative Influences
His determination stemmed from early experiences. Not excelling in contests at school made him "vengeful!" It was fuel to demonstrate he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.
The next endeavor is making his own choreography. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the conventions 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, music, and art.
Intimate Dance and Personal Partnership
He additionally favors staging dance in smaller venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous show. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has made duets with his girlfriend, 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 usually paired on stage at their home company, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."
On Social Media and Physical Image
On Instagram, followers can see videos from his projects and photos that highlight a sculpted form. Does he mind that the engagement can be a bit focused on appearance? 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 various levels.
Ball characterizes his early self as "eager for success." Did it lived up to his expectations? "I feel very aware of how reality is a different reality to the aspirations you made as a child," he muses. He probably has another decade of performing left. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
