Within the quiet atmosphere of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's posture is effortlessly upright, his limbs defined beneath a plain tee. On stage, ballet dancers can appear as powerful gods, yet frequently offstage they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his popularity for heroic roles and partnering. Possessing fine traits and piercing eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.
A Seamless Rise to the Top
At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has advanced smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced little ridicule for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved straight into the company and was promoted each year, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on substantial characters, 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."
Ball's next featured appearance is as himself, in an "Evening With" event aiming to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a dancer's art. He will guide the crowd through a role, showing his mental process while performance. Yet in lighter ballets, the challenge is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he notes.
The Psychological Game and Post-Performance Emotions
What about following a performance, 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 later. Following an intense role I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker previously observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite active usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for positive change."
Early Motivations and Creative Inspirations
His tenacity originated in early setbacks. 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 changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.
An upcoming 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 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 literature, music, and art.
Close-Up Performance and Personal Dynamic
He additionally is interested in presenting dance in smaller venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past show. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made pieces with his partner, fellow principal 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 resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple are not usually paired 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. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."
On Social Media and Physical Image
On social media, fans can see videos from his dance films and photos that showcase a athletic form. Does he mind that the engagement can be somewhat objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he explains. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on multiple levels.
Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it met his expectations? "I feel very aware of how reality is a separate reality to the dreams you had as a young person," he reflects. He probably has another decade of dancing ahead. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
