In the quiet ambiance of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His posture is effortlessly straight-backed, his arms defined beneath a plain tee. On stage, dancers can appear like powerful deities, yet frequently in person they are small. Not so Ball, whose height is part of his popularity for princely roles and pas de deux work. With fine traits and intense eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Rise to the Top
At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced minimal ridicule for his early interest in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated straight into the company and was promoted each year, reaching the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on substantial characters, especially 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."
Ball's upcoming featured role is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" series designed to offer intimate insights into a performer's art. He will guide the audience through a part, showing his cognitive process during execution. Even in more comedic works, the test is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding technically," he notes.
The Mental Struggle and Post-Performance Feelings
How does he feel following a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get lost in the role, quite often I do feel self-conscious afterwards. Following an intense role I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer once remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite active in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for good change."
Early Motivations and Artistic Influences
His determination stemmed from early experiences. Not excelling in contests at school made him "vengeful!" This became fuel to prove he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.
An upcoming endeavor is making his own dance works. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the rules is compelling, but just pretending 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 substance, drawing inspiration from literature, compositions, and painting.
Close-Up Performance and Personal Dynamic
He additionally favors staging dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past experience. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made pieces with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They are not usually matched on stage at their home company, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Perception
On social media, fans can see clips from his projects and images that highlight a sculpted physique. Does he care that the engagement can be a bit objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on various levels.
Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it met his hopes? "I feel very aware of how reality is a separate thing to the aspirations you had as a child," he muses. He probably has about ten years of performing left. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
