Within the hushed ambiance of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's posture is naturally upright, his arms muscular beneath a plain tee. On stage, ballet dancers can appear like mighty gods, yet often in person they are petite. Not so Ball, whose height is part of his demand for princely roles and pas de deux work. Possessing delicate features 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 smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered little teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the company and was promoted each year, attaining the highest position of principal in 2018. He has loved tackling meaty dramatic roles, especially the psychological angst found in a famed choreographer's works.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
Ball's next featured role is as himself, in an "Evening With" event designed to offer intimate perspectives into a performer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a role, showing his cognitive workflow while performance. Yet in more comedic works, the challenge is significant. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest technically," he notes.
The Mental Game and After the Show Feelings
What about following a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the role, frequently I do feel embarrassed later. After an intense role I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker once remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very energetic in general, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for positive change."
Early Motivations and Artistic Inspirations
Ball's determination stemmed from youthful experiences. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" It was fuel to demonstrate 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 remembers.
An upcoming challenge is creating his own choreography. 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 books, music, and art.
Close-Up Dance and Private Dynamic
He additionally favors staging dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past show. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has created pieces with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of faith between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They aren’t usually matched on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Image
On social media, fans can see videos from his dance films and images that showcase a athletic physique. Does he mind that the engagement can be a bit objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on multiple levels.
Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Did it met his hopes? "I feel very aware of how life is a different reality to the dreams you made as a young person," he reflects. He likely has another decade of performing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
