In the hushed ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is effortlessly upright, his arms defined beneath a plain tee. On stage, ballet dancers can seem as mighty gods, yet often in person they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for heroic characters and pas de deux work. With delicate traits and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Rise to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has progressed smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced minimal ridicule for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated directly into the troupe and was advanced each year, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved tackling substantial characters, particularly the psychological angst found in a famed choreographer's works.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
His next starring role is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event aiming to offer intimate insights into a performer's craft. He will walk the audience through a role, demonstrating his mental workflow during execution. Even in more comedic works, the test is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he notes.
The Mental Game and Post-Performance Feelings
How does he feel following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the character, frequently I do feel embarrassed afterwards. After Mayerling I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. But a dance maker once observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "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 negativity has been an instigator for good change."
Formative Drivers and Artistic Inspirations
Ball's determination stemmed from youthful setbacks. Not excelling in contests at school made him "vengeful!" It was fuel to prove he could succeed. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.
An upcoming endeavor is creating his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the rules is interesting, but just pretending that they’re not a reality any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He aims his work to be loaded with meaning, drawing inspiration from literature, compositions, and art.
Close-Up Dance and Personal Partnership
He also favors presenting dance in smaller venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous 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 made pieces with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of faith between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t usually paired on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps beneficial. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he admits. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite supporter."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Image
On social media, fans can see videos from his projects and images that highlight a sculpted physique. Does he mind that the engagement can be somewhat focused on appearance? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on multiple ways.
Ball describes his early self as "eager for success." Did it met his hopes? "I am conscious of how reality is a different reality to the dreams you had as a young person," he muses. He likely has another decade of performing ahead. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
