In the hushed ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is naturally straight-backed, his limbs muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can seem like mighty gods, yet frequently in person they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is part of his popularity for princely characters and pas de deux work. With fine features and intense eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Top
At 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered little teasing for his early passion in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved straight into the troupe and was advanced each year, attaining the highest position of principal in 2018. He has relished tackling substantial dramatic roles, particularly the psychological angst found in a famed choreographer's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
Ball's next featured role is as himself, in an "In Conversation" event aiming to offer intimate insights into a performer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a role, demonstrating his mental workflow while execution. Yet in lighter works, the test is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest technically," he states.
The Psychological Struggle and After the Show Feelings
How does he feel after a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the role, quite often I do feel self-conscious afterwards. Following Mayerling I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer previously remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite energetic in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for good change."
Early Motivations and Creative Influences
Ball's tenacity originated in youthful setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" This became motivation to demonstrate he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.
An upcoming challenge is creating his own dance works. 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 loaded with meaning, drawing ideas from literature, compositions, and art.
Intimate Performance and Private Dynamic
He also is interested in staging dance in smaller venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous show. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has made duets with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of faith between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t 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. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite supporter."
On Social Media and Bodily Perception
On social media, fans can see videos from his dance films and photos that showcase a athletic form. Does he mind 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 compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on various levels.
Ball describes his early self as "eager for success." Did it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how life is a separate thing to the aspirations you had as a child," he reflects. He probably has about decade of performing left. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
