In the hushed ambiance of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is naturally upright, his limbs muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can appear as mighty gods, yet frequently in person they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his popularity for princely characters and partnering. Possessing fine traits and intense eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Top
Now 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has progressed smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered minimal teasing for his childhood interest in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated directly into the company and was advanced annually, attaining the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on meaty dramatic roles, particularly the emotional turmoil 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 "Evening With" series designed to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a dancer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a part, demonstrating his cognitive workflow while execution. Even in lighter ballets, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding technically," he notes.
The Mental Game and Post-Performance Emotions
What about after a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the character, frequently I do feel self-conscious afterwards. After Mayerling I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker once remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very energetic usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for good change."
Early Drivers and Artistic Influences
Ball's tenacity stemmed from early experiences. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" It was fuel to prove he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.
The next endeavor is creating his own choreography. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the conventions is interesting, 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 painting.
Intimate Dance and Private Partnership
He additionally favors staging dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so near to the viewers. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made duets with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t usually paired on stage at their main theater, which might be 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 cheerleader."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Perception
On social media, fans can see videos from his projects and images that highlight a athletic form. Does he mind that the response can be a bit 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 compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on various levels.
Ball characterizes his early self as "eager for success." Has it lived up to his hopes? "I feel very aware of how life is a separate reality to the aspirations you made as a child," he muses. He probably has about ten years of dancing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
