In the hushed atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His carriage is naturally straight-backed, his arms defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can seem like mighty gods, yet often in person they are petite. Not so Ball, whose height is part of his demand for heroic roles and pas de deux work. With fine features and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Top
Now 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated directly into the company and was advanced each year, reaching the highest position of principal in 2018. He has relished tackling substantial dramatic roles, particularly the emotional angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
Ball's next featured appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" event aiming to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a performer's art. He will guide the crowd through a part, showing his mental process while execution. Even in lighter works, the test is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.
The Mental Struggle and After the Show Emotions
What about after a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the character, quite often I do feel embarrassed afterwards. Following Mayerling I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. But a choreographer previously observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite active in general, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for good change."
Formative Drivers and Artistic Influences
His determination stemmed from youthful setbacks. Not doing well in contests at school made him "vengeful!" It was motivation to prove he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.
An upcoming endeavor is creating his own dance works. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the rules is interesting, but just pretending that they’re not a reality any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He wants his work to be loaded with substance, drawing inspiration from literature, music, and painting.
Intimate Dance and Personal Dynamic
He additionally favors presenting dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous show. "You’re so close 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 resembled Dirty Dancing." They are not typically matched on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Perception
On social media, fans can see videos from his projects and images that highlight a sculpted form. Does he care that the engagement can be a bit objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on multiple ways.
Ball characterizes his early self as "eager for success." Has it met his hopes? "I feel very aware of how life is a separate reality to the aspirations you had as a young person," he reflects. He likely has about decade of dancing ahead. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
