Within the quiet ambiance of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His posture is effortlessly straight-backed, his limbs defined beneath a simple white T-shirt. During performances, dancers can appear as mighty deities, yet frequently in person they are petite. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is part of his popularity for heroic characters and pas de deux work. With delicate features and intense eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Top
At 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has advanced smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered little ridicule for his early interest in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the company and was advanced annually, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on meaty characters, especially the psychological turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
His upcoming starring appearance is as himself, in an "In Conversation" event designed to offer intimate insights into a dancer's craft. He will guide the audience through a part, showing his mental workflow during execution. Yet in more comedic ballets, the test is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding technically," he states.
The Mental Game and Post-Performance Emotions
How does he feel after a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the role, quite often I do feel self-conscious afterwards. After an intense role I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a dance maker once remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite active in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."
Formative Drivers and Artistic Influences
Ball's determination stemmed from youthful setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "driven!" This became fuel 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 obsessive," he remembers.
The next challenge is making his own dance works. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the conventions is compelling, 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 loaded with meaning, drawing ideas from literature, music, and art.
Close-Up Performance and Private Dynamic
He also favors staging dance in smaller venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past show. "You’re so near 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 principal Mayara Magri. The level 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 aren’t typically paired on stage at their home company, which might be healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Perception
On Instagram, fans can see videos from his projects and photos that highlight a sculpted form. Does he mind that the engagement can be a bit focused on appearance? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on multiple levels.
Ball characterizes his early self as "eager for success." Did it lived up to his hopes? "I am conscious of how reality is a different reality to the dreams you had as a child," he muses. He likely has another ten years of dancing left. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
