Within the quiet ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is effortlessly upright, his arms defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can appear like powerful deities, yet often offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his popularity for princely roles and partnering. Possessing delicate traits and intense eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has progressed 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 company and was promoted annually, attaining the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved tackling meaty 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 upcoming featured appearance is as himself, in an "Evening With" event aiming to offer intimate insights into a performer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a role, showing his mental workflow while execution. Even in more comedic ballets, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest technically," he notes.
The Psychological Game and Post-Performance Feelings
What about after a show, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the role, quite often I do feel embarrassed later. After an intense role I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a dance maker once remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite energetic usually, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for good change."
Early Motivations and Artistic Inspirations
Ball's tenacity stemmed from early setbacks. Not doing well in contests at school made him "vengeful!" 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 recalls.
The next challenge is creating his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the conventions is compelling, but just acting 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 filled with meaning, drawing ideas from books, music, and painting.
Close-Up Dance and Private Partnership
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 human, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has made pieces with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of trust 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 main theater, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Image
On Instagram, followers can see clips from his dance films and photos that showcase a athletic physique. Does he care that the response can be somewhat focused on appearance? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, 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 early self as "eager for success." Has it lived up to his hopes? "I am conscious of how life is a different reality to the aspirations you made as a young person," he muses. He likely has about ten years of dancing left. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
