Within the hushed ambiance of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His carriage is effortlessly straight-backed, his arms defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, dancers can seem like mighty gods, yet frequently in person they are small. Not so Ball, whose height is part of his popularity for princely roles and pas de deux work. Possessing fine traits and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle
Now 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced minimal ridicule for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated straight into the troupe and was advanced each year, attaining the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved tackling substantial dramatic roles, particularly the psychological angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
His next starring appearance is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event aiming to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a dancer's craft. He will guide the audience through a part, demonstrating his cognitive workflow while performance. Yet in lighter ballets, the challenge is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest technically," he notes.
The Mental Struggle and Post-Performance Emotions
How does he feel following a show, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the role, quite often I do feel embarrassed afterwards. Following Mayerling I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. But a dance maker previously observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very energetic in general, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for positive change."
Early Motivations and Creative Influences
Ball's tenacity stemmed from youthful setbacks. Not excelling in contests at school made him "driven!" This became motivation to prove he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.
An upcoming endeavor is creating his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the conventions 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 wants his work to be filled with meaning, drawing inspiration from books, compositions, and art.
Intimate Performance and Private Partnership
He also favors staging dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past show. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a human, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has made duets with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple are not typically matched on stage at their main theater, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he admits. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Perception
On Instagram, followers can see videos from his projects and images that highlight a athletic form. Does he mind that the engagement 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 explains. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on various ways.
Ball describes his early self as "eager for success." Did it lived up to his hopes? "I am conscious of how reality is a different thing to the aspirations you had as a child," he reflects. He likely has another decade of dancing left. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
