In the quiet ambiance of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His posture is effortlessly upright, his limbs muscular beneath a plain tee. On stage, dancers can appear as powerful gods, yet often offstage they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is part of his demand for heroic characters and partnering. With fine traits and intense eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.
A Seamless Rise to the Top
At 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has advanced smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered little ridicule for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved directly into the troupe and was promoted each year, attaining the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on meaty characters, particularly the emotional turmoil found in a famed choreographer's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
His upcoming starring role is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" series designed to offer intimate perspectives into a dancer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a role, demonstrating his cognitive workflow during performance. Even in more comedic works, the challenge is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest technically," he states.
The Psychological Game and After the Show Feelings
What about after a performance, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the character, frequently I do feel embarrassed later. Following Mayerling I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer once remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite energetic usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for positive change."
Early Drivers and Creative Inspirations
Ball's determination originated in early experiences. Not excelling in contests at school made him "vengeful!" This became fuel to demonstrate he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.
An upcoming challenge is making his own choreography. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the rules is compelling, but just pretending that they’re not a thing any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He wants his work to be filled with substance, drawing inspiration from literature, compositions, and painting.
Intimate Dance and Private Partnership
He also is interested in staging dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous show. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has made duets with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They 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 smooth sailing," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."
On Social Media and Physical Image
On social media, followers can see clips from his dance films and images that highlight a sculpted form. Does he care that the response can be somewhat focused on appearance? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on multiple levels.
Ball describes his younger self as "desperate for success." Did it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a separate reality to the aspirations you made as a child," he reflects. He likely has about decade of dancing ahead. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
