In the hushed atmosphere of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His posture is effortlessly upright, his arms defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, dancers can appear like mighty deities, yet often offstage they are petite. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is part of his popularity for princely characters and pas de deux work. With delicate features and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has advanced smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his childhood interest in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated directly into the company and was promoted each year, attaining the highest position of principal in 2018. He has loved taking on meaty dramatic roles, particularly 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 as himself, in an "In Conversation" series designed to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a dancer's craft. He will guide the audience through a role, showing his cognitive workflow during performance. Yet in lighter ballets, the test is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he notes.
The Mental Struggle and Post-Performance Emotions
What about following a performance, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the role, quite often I do feel self-conscious later. After Mayerling I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. But a choreographer once observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite active usually, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for positive change."
Formative Motivations and Creative Influences
Ball's determination originated in early setbacks. Not excelling 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 changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.
The next endeavor is creating his own choreography. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the rules is compelling, but just pretending that they’re not a thing any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He aims his work to be filled with substance, drawing ideas from books, music, and art.
Close-Up Performance and Private Partnership
He additionally is interested in staging dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past show. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has created duets with his partner, 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 was like Dirty Dancing." They aren’t 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. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Image
On social media, fans can see videos from his dance films and photos that highlight a sculpted physique. Does he care that the response can be a bit 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 various ways.
Ball characterizes his early self as "eager for success." Has it lived up to his hopes? "I feel very aware of how reality is a separate reality to the aspirations you had as a child," he muses. He probably has another decade of performing left. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
