In the quiet ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His carriage is naturally upright, his arms muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, ballet dancers can seem as mighty deities, yet often offstage they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for princely characters and partnering. With fine traits and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Rise to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced little teasing for his early interest in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated straight into the company 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 Kenneth MacMillan's works.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
His upcoming featured role is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series designed to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a dancer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a role, demonstrating his mental process while performance. Yet in more comedic ballets, the test is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding technically," he notes.
The Mental Game and After the Show Emotions
How does he feel after a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he admits. "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 afterwards. Following Mayerling I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a dance maker once remarked 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 pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for good change."
Formative Motivations and Artistic Influences
Ball's determination originated in early setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" It was motivation to demonstrate he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.
The next challenge is creating his own choreography. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the conventions 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 wants his work to be filled with substance, drawing inspiration from books, music, and art.
Close-Up Performance and Private Partnership
He additionally is interested in presenting dance in smaller venues. "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 human, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has created pieces with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They aren’t typically paired on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps beneficial. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he admits. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Perception
On Instagram, fans can see clips from his dance films and images that showcase a athletic form. Does he care that the response can be somewhat focused on appearance? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he explains. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on various levels.
Ball describes his younger self as "desperate for success." Did it lived up to his hopes? "I feel very aware of how reality is a separate reality to the dreams you had as a young person," he muses. He probably has about decade of performing ahead. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
