Within the quiet ambiance of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His carriage is effortlessly straight-backed, his limbs defined beneath a simple tee. On stage, ballet dancers can seem as powerful deities, yet frequently offstage they are petite. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for heroic characters and partnering. Possessing delicate traits and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Top
Now 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has advanced smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved directly into the troupe and was advanced 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 works.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
Ball's upcoming featured appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series designed to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a dancer's craft. He will walk the audience through a part, showing his mental process while performance. Yet in lighter ballets, the challenge is significant. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest technically," he notes.
The Psychological Struggle and Post-Performance Feelings
What about following a performance, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get lost in the character, frequently I do feel embarrassed later. After Mayerling I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer previously remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very active in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for good change."
Formative Motivations and Artistic Inspirations
His determination stemmed from youthful experiences. Not excelling in contests at school made him "driven!" This became motivation to demonstrate he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.
An upcoming challenge is making his own choreography. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the conventions is interesting, but just acting that they’re not a thing any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He aims his work to be filled with substance, drawing inspiration from literature, compositions, and art.
Intimate Performance and Personal Dynamic
He additionally favors presenting dance in more intimate spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so near to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has created duets with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of faith between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They aren’t usually paired on stage at their home company, which might be healthy. "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 supporter."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Perception
On social media, fans can see videos from his dance films and images that showcase a athletic physique. Does he care that the response can be a bit objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on multiple levels.
Ball describes his younger self as "eager for success." Did it met his hopes? "I feel very aware of how reality is a different thing to the dreams you had as a young person," he muses. He probably has another ten years of performing left. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
