In the quiet atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is effortlessly straight-backed, his arms defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can appear as mighty deities, yet frequently in person they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for princely characters and pas de deux work. Possessing delicate traits and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle
Now 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his early interest in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the company and was advanced each year, reaching the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved tackling meaty characters, especially the psychological turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
Ball's next starring appearance is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event designed to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a dancer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a part, demonstrating his mental process during performance. Yet in more comedic works, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest technically," he notes.
The Mental Game and After the Show Feelings
How does he feel after a show, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the character, quite often I do feel self-conscious later. After Mayerling I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker previously observed 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 negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."
Formative Motivations and Artistic Influences
His determination stemmed from youthful experiences. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" It was fuel to demonstrate he could succeed. Reading 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 endeavor is making his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the rules is interesting, but just acting 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 meaning, drawing inspiration from books, compositions, and art.
Intimate Dance and Private Partnership
He additionally is interested in staging dance in more intimate spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous show. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made duets with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t typically paired on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he admits. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."
On Social Media and Physical Image
On Instagram, fans can see clips from his projects and photos that showcase a sculpted form. Does he care that the engagement can be a bit focused on appearance? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on various levels.
Ball characterizes his early self as "desperate for success." Did it met his hopes? "I feel very aware of how reality is a separate thing to the aspirations you made as a child," he reflects. He likely has another decade of dancing left. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."