Within the hushed ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's posture is effortlessly upright, his arms muscular beneath a plain tee. On stage, dancers can seem as mighty gods, yet often in person they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his popularity for princely roles and partnering. Possessing delicate features and piercing eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.
A Seamless Rise to the Top
At 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has progressed smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered little teasing for his early passion in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated directly into the company and was promoted annually, attaining the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished taking on substantial dramatic roles, particularly the psychological angst found in a famed choreographer's works.
"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" event designed to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a dancer's art. He will guide the crowd through a role, showing his cognitive workflow while execution. Even in lighter ballets, the challenge is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest technically," he states.
The Psychological Struggle and After the Show Emotions
How does he feel following a performance, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get lost in the role, frequently I do feel self-conscious later. Following Mayerling I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer once observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very active in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for good change."
Formative Drivers and Artistic Inspirations
Ball's determination originated in early experiences. Not doing well in contests at school made him "vengeful!" This became fuel to demonstrate he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.
The next challenge is creating his own choreography. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the rules 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 wants his work to be filled with meaning, drawing ideas from literature, music, and art.
Close-Up Dance and Personal Dynamic
He also is interested in staging dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has created duets with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of faith 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 typically matched on stage at their home company, 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."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Image
On Instagram, fans can see clips from his dance films and images that showcase a athletic form. Does he care 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 precious about it," he states. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on multiple ways.
Ball characterizes his early self as "eager for success." Did it lived up to his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a separate thing to the aspirations you had as a young person," he reflects. He likely has another decade of performing left. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
