Within the quiet ambiance of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His carriage is effortlessly straight-backed, his limbs defined beneath a simple tee. During performances, ballet dancers can seem as mighty gods, yet often offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is part of his demand for princely characters and pas de deux work. With fine features and intense eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.
An Apparent Rise to the Top
At 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced little teasing 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 top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished taking on substantial characters, especially the psychological turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
His next starring role is as himself, in an "Evening With" event designed to offer intimate insights into a performer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a part, demonstrating his mental workflow during performance. Even in more comedic ballets, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he states.
The Psychological Struggle and After the Show Emotions
What about after a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the role, frequently I do feel embarrassed later. After an intense role 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 "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very energetic in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for good change."
Early Motivations and Artistic Inspirations
Ball's tenacity originated in early setbacks. Not doing well in contests at school made him "driven!" This became fuel to prove he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.
The next challenge is making his own choreography. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the rules is interesting, but just acting 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 inspiration from books, music, and art.
Close-Up Performance and Personal Dynamic
He also favors presenting dance in smaller venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past experience. "You’re so near to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has made duets with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They are not usually matched on stage at their home company, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."
On Social Media and Physical Perception
On social media, fans can see videos from his dance films and images that highlight a sculpted physique. Does he care that the engagement can be a bit objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on multiple levels.
Ball describes his early self as "desperate for success." Has it met his expectations? "I feel very aware of how reality is a different reality to the aspirations you made as a child," he muses. He probably has another decade of performing ahead. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
