Within the hushed ambiance of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is naturally straight-backed, his arms defined beneath a simple white T-shirt. During performances, dancers can seem as powerful deities, yet often in person they are small. Not so Ball, whose height is one reason for his popularity for princely roles and pas de deux work. Possessing delicate traits and piercing eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Top
At 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced little ridicule for his childhood passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved directly into the troupe and was promoted each year, attaining the top rank of principal in 2018. He has relished 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 neural fatigue."
Ball's next starring appearance is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event designed to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a performer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a part, demonstrating his cognitive process during performance. Even in lighter ballets, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding technically," he states.
The Psychological Struggle and After the Show Feelings
How does he feel following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the role, frequently I do feel self-conscious afterwards. Following Mayerling I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker once observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very energetic usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for good change."
Early Drivers and Artistic Inspirations
Ball's determination originated in youthful experiences. Not doing well in contests at school made him "vengeful!" This became motivation to demonstrate he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.
An upcoming challenge is making his own dance works. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the conventions is interesting, but just acting 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 ideas from books, compositions, and art.
Close-Up Dance and Private Partnership
He additionally is interested in presenting dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has created duets with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They are not usually paired on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he admits. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."
On Social Media and Physical Image
On social media, followers can see videos from his projects and images that showcase a sculpted physique. Does he care that the engagement can be somewhat objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on various levels.
Ball describes his younger self as "desperate for success." Did it met his hopes? "I am conscious of how life is a separate reality to the aspirations you made as a child," he reflects. He likely has another decade of performing ahead. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
