In the hushed ambiance of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is effortlessly straight-backed, his arms defined beneath a simple tee. During performances, dancers can appear like mighty deities, yet frequently in person they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is part of his popularity for heroic characters and pas de deux work. Possessing delicate features and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Top
Now 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has progressed smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his early interest in ballet. Joining 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 taking on substantial characters, especially the psychological angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
Ball's upcoming featured appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series designed to offer intimate insights into a performer's craft. He will walk the audience through a part, demonstrating his cognitive process during performance. Yet in more comedic works, the challenge is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding technically," he states.
The Mental Struggle and After the Show Feelings
What about following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the character, frequently I do feel self-conscious later. Following Mayerling I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer previously remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very active usually, 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 positive change."
Early Drivers and Creative Influences
Ball's determination originated in early experiences. Not excelling in contests at school made him "driven!" It was fuel to prove he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.
An upcoming endeavor is creating his own dance works. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the rules is compelling, 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 filled with substance, drawing ideas from literature, compositions, and painting.
Close-Up Dance and Personal Partnership
He also is interested in presenting dance in smaller venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past experience. "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 girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They are not typically matched on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he admits. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."
On Social Media and Bodily Image
On Instagram, followers can see clips from his dance films and photos that highlight a sculpted form. Does he mind that the response can be somewhat focused on appearance? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on various levels.
Ball characterizes his early self as "desperate for success." Did it met his hopes? "I am conscious of how life is a separate thing to the aspirations you had as a child," he reflects. He likely has another decade of performing ahead. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
