In the quiet atmosphere of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His carriage is effortlessly straight-backed, his arms defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can seem like mighty gods, yet often in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is part of his demand for princely roles and partnering. Possessing fine traits and piercing eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Top
Now 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered minimal ridicule for his childhood passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the company and was promoted annually, attaining the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished taking on substantial characters, especially the emotional turmoil found in a famed choreographer's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
His next featured appearance is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" series designed to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a dancer's art. He will guide the crowd through a role, showing his mental process while execution. Even in more comedic ballets, the test is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding technically," he states.
The Mental Game and After the Show Feelings
How does he feel after a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get lost in the character, frequently I do feel embarrassed afterwards. After Mayerling I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer previously remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very energetic usually, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."
Formative Drivers and Creative Influences
His determination stemmed from youthful experiences. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" This became motivation to demonstrate he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.
An upcoming endeavor is creating his own choreography. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the conventions is interesting, 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 substance, drawing inspiration from literature, music, and painting.
Intimate Dance and Private Dynamic
He also favors presenting dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has made pieces with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t usually paired on stage at their main theater, 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."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Image
On social media, fans can see videos from his projects and images that highlight a sculpted form. Does he care that the engagement can be a bit objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on multiple ways.
Ball describes his early self as "desperate for success." Has it met his expectations? "I feel very aware of how life is a separate thing to the aspirations you made as a child," he reflects. He probably has another ten years of performing left. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
