In the quiet atmosphere of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His posture is naturally upright, his limbs muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, dancers can appear like mighty deities, yet frequently offstage they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is part of his popularity for heroic roles and pas de deux work. With fine traits and piercing eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Top
At 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered little ridicule for his childhood interest in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the troupe and was advanced each year, attaining the highest position of principal in 2018. He has loved taking on meaty characters, particularly the psychological turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
His upcoming starring role is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series aiming to offer intimate insights into a performer's craft. He will walk the audience through a role, demonstrating his cognitive process while execution. Even in lighter ballets, the challenge is significant. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest technically," he states.
The Mental Struggle and After the Show Feelings
How does he feel after a performance, when he has pulled it off? "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, frequently I do feel self-conscious later. After an intense role I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer once observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite active in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."
Formative Motivations and Artistic Inspirations
His determination stemmed from youthful experiences. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" It was fuel to prove he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.
The next endeavor is creating his own choreography. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the rules is compelling, 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 loaded with meaning, drawing inspiration from books, compositions, and painting.
Intimate Performance and Private Dynamic
He also is interested in staging dance in smaller venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past experience. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made pieces with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They are not typically matched on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."
On Social Media and Bodily Perception
On Instagram, followers can see videos from his dance films and images that showcase a sculpted physique. Does he mind that the engagement can be somewhat focused on appearance? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on multiple levels.
Ball describes his early self as "eager for success." Did it lived up to his expectations? "I feel very aware of how reality is a different reality to the dreams you made as a young person," he reflects. He probably has about ten years of performing left. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
