Within the quiet ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is effortlessly straight-backed, his arms defined beneath a simple white T-shirt. During performances, dancers can seem as mighty gods, yet frequently in person they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his demand for princely roles and pas de deux work. Possessing delicate features and piercing eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Top
At 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has progressed smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered little ridicule for his early passion in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated straight into the company and was advanced annually, reaching the top rank of principal in 2018. He has loved tackling substantial characters, especially the psychological angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
His upcoming starring role is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event designed to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a dancer's craft. He will guide the audience through a role, showing his cognitive workflow while performance. Yet in more comedic works, the test is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he states.
The Psychological Struggle and After the Show Emotions
How does he feel following a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the character, quite often I do feel embarrassed afterwards. After an intense role I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. But a dance maker previously observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very active usually, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for positive change."
Early Drivers and Creative Influences
His tenacity stemmed from youthful experiences. Not doing well in contests at school made him "driven!" It was motivation to demonstrate he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.
An upcoming challenge is making his own choreography. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the conventions is compelling, 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 loaded with substance, drawing inspiration from literature, compositions, and painting.
Close-Up Dance and Personal Partnership
He additionally is interested in staging dance in smaller venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past show. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has made pieces with his girlfriend, 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 resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple are not typically matched on stage at their home company, which is perhaps healthy. "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 supporter."
On Social Media and Bodily Image
On Instagram, followers can see clips from his projects and photos that highlight a athletic physique. Does he mind that the response 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 explains. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on various ways.
Ball characterizes his early self as "desperate for success." Has it lived up to his hopes? "I am conscious of how reality is a separate thing to the aspirations you had as a young person," he reflects. He likely has about ten years of performing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
