Within the quiet ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His carriage is naturally upright, his limbs defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. During performances, dancers can appear as powerful gods, yet often offstage they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for princely characters and pas de deux work. With delicate traits and piercing eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle
Now 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has advanced smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered little teasing for his early passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated directly into the troupe and was promoted each year, attaining the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on meaty characters, especially the psychological angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
Ball's upcoming featured role is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event aiming to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a performer's craft. He will guide the audience through a role, showing his cognitive workflow during execution. Even in more comedic works, the test is significant. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.
The Psychological Struggle and Post-Performance Feelings
How does he feel following a performance, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the character, quite often I do feel self-conscious later. Following an intense role I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker once remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "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 negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."
Early Drivers and Creative Influences
His determination originated in early experiences. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "driven!" This became fuel to prove he could succeed. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.
The next endeavor is creating his own choreography. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "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 wants his work to be filled with meaning, drawing ideas from literature, compositions, and art.
Close-Up Performance and Personal Dynamic
He also is interested in presenting dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past experience. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has made pieces with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple are not usually matched on stage at their main theater, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he admits. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite supporter."
On Social Media and Bodily Perception
On Instagram, fans can see clips from his projects and images that highlight a athletic physique. Does he care that the response can be somewhat objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he explains. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on multiple ways.
Ball describes his younger self as "eager for success." Did it met his hopes? "I feel very aware of how reality is a separate thing to the dreams you made as a child," he muses. He probably has another decade of dancing left. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
