In the hushed ambiance of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is effortlessly upright, his limbs muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, dancers can appear like powerful deities, yet frequently offstage they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for heroic roles and pas de deux work. With fine features and piercing eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Top
At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered minimal ridicule for his early interest in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated straight into the company and was promoted annually, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved tackling 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 neural fatigue."
Ball's next featured role is as himself, in an "In Conversation" series aiming to offer intimate perspectives into a dancer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a part, showing his mental workflow while performance. Even in more comedic works, the test is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he notes.
The Psychological Struggle and After the Show Feelings
What about following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the character, frequently I do feel self-conscious afterwards. After an intense role I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. But a choreographer previously 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 kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for good change."
Early Drivers and Creative Inspirations
Ball's determination stemmed from early setbacks. Not doing well in competitions 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 obsessive," he remembers.
An upcoming challenge is creating his own choreography. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the conventions 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 aims his work to be filled with meaning, drawing ideas from literature, compositions, and painting.
Intimate Dance and Personal Dynamic
He additionally is interested in staging dance in smaller spaces. "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 human, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has created duets with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple are not typically paired on stage at their home company, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he admits. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."
On Social Media and Bodily Image
On social media, followers can see clips from his dance films and photos that showcase a sculpted form. Does he mind that the engagement can be somewhat objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on various levels.
Ball describes his younger self as "eager for success." Did it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how life is a separate thing to the aspirations you made as a young person," he reflects. He likely has another decade of dancing ahead. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
