Within the quiet atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's posture is naturally straight-backed, his limbs muscular beneath a simple tee. On stage, ballet dancers can seem like mighty deities, yet often in person they are petite. Not so Ball, whose height is part of his popularity for princely characters and partnering. With delicate traits and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle
Now 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced minimal ridicule for his early interest in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the troupe and was advanced annually, reaching the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished tackling meaty dramatic roles, especially the emotional angst found in a famed choreographer's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
His upcoming starring role is as himself, in an "In Conversation" event aiming to offer intimate insights into a dancer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a part, demonstrating his cognitive process while execution. Yet in more comedic ballets, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he notes.
The Psychological Struggle and Post-Performance Feelings
How does he feel after a show, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get lost in the role, quite often I do feel embarrassed afterwards. Following an intense role I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer once remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite active usually, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for positive change."
Formative Drivers and Creative Influences
Ball's tenacity originated in youthful setbacks. Not doing well in contests at school made him "driven!" It was motivation to prove he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.
An upcoming endeavor is creating his own choreography. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the rules is compelling, 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 filled with substance, drawing inspiration from books, compositions, and art.
Intimate Performance and Personal Dynamic
He additionally is interested in staging dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past experience. "You’re so near to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made pieces with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They aren’t usually matched on stage at their home company, which is perhaps beneficial. "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 cheerleader."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Image
On Instagram, followers can see clips from his projects and images that showcase a athletic physique. Does he care 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 levels.
Ball describes his younger self as "eager for success." Did it met his hopes? "I am conscious of how reality is a separate thing to the dreams you made as a child," he muses. He probably has another ten years of performing ahead. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
