Within the hushed atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's posture is effortlessly upright, his arms defined beneath a plain tee. On stage, ballet dancers can appear as powerful gods, yet frequently in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for princely roles and partnering. With fine features and intense eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Top
At 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has advanced smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his childhood interest in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated straight into the troupe and was promoted each year, attaining the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished taking on meaty dramatic roles, especially the emotional turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
Ball's upcoming featured role is as himself, in an "Evening With" series designed to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a performer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a part, demonstrating his mental process while performance. Even in lighter works, the test is significant. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he notes.
The Mental Game and Post-Performance Feelings
What about after a show, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the role, frequently I do feel self-conscious afterwards. After an intense role I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. But a dance maker once remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite energetic usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for positive change."
Formative Drivers and Artistic Inspirations
His tenacity originated in youthful experiences. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "driven!" This became fuel to prove he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.
An upcoming challenge is creating his own choreography. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the rules is compelling, but just acting 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 loaded with meaning, drawing ideas from books, compositions, and painting.
Close-Up Dance and Personal Partnership
He also is interested in staging dance in smaller venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past experience. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has made pieces with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of faith 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 home company, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite supporter."
On Social Media and Bodily Image
On Instagram, followers can see videos from his projects and photos that highlight a athletic form. Does he care that the engagement can be a bit 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 viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on multiple levels.
Ball describes his early self as "eager for success." Did it lived up to his hopes? "I am conscious of how reality is a separate reality to the aspirations you had as a child," he muses. He probably has about ten years of performing left. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
