Within the quiet atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is naturally straight-backed, his limbs defined beneath a simple tee. On stage, dancers can appear like mighty gods, yet often in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his demand for heroic roles and pas de deux work. With delicate features and piercing eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has advanced smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated directly into the company and was promoted annually, attaining the highest position of principal in 2018. He has loved taking on substantial characters, especially the psychological angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
His upcoming starring appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" event aiming to offer intimate perspectives into a performer's craft. He will guide the audience through a role, demonstrating his mental workflow while performance. Yet in lighter ballets, the challenge is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest technically," he notes.
The Mental Struggle and Post-Performance Emotions
How does he feel following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the role, quite often I do feel embarrassed afterwards. Following Mayerling I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is reflective, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. But a choreographer once observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite active in general, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for good change."
Early Motivations and Artistic Influences
His determination originated in youthful experiences. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" It was motivation to prove he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.
An upcoming endeavor is making his own choreography. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Breaking 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 aims his work to be filled with meaning, drawing inspiration from books, compositions, and painting.
Intimate Dance and Personal Dynamic
He also favors presenting dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has created pieces with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They aren’t typically matched on stage at their home company, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."
On Social Media and Physical Image
On Instagram, fans can see videos from his projects and photos that showcase a athletic physique. Does he mind that the engagement can be somewhat objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on multiple levels.
Ball describes his early self as "desperate for success." Did it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a different thing to the aspirations you made as a young person," he muses. He probably has about ten years of performing left. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
