In the hushed ambiance of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's posture is effortlessly upright, his limbs defined beneath a simple white T-shirt. During performances, dancers can seem as powerful gods, yet frequently in person they are petite. Not so Ball, whose height is one reason for his popularity for heroic characters and pas de deux work. With delicate features and piercing eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Rise to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal ridicule for his early passion in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated directly into the troupe and was promoted annually, attaining the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved tackling meaty characters, particularly the psychological angst found in a famed choreographer's works.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
Ball's upcoming featured appearance is as himself, in an "Evening With" series aiming to offer intimate perspectives into a performer's art. He will walk the crowd through a part, demonstrating his cognitive workflow while performance. Even in more comedic ballets, the challenge is significant. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest technically," he notes.
The Mental Game and After the Show Emotions
How does he feel following a performance, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he says. "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 Mayerling I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is reflective, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer 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 good change."
Early Drivers and Creative Influences
His tenacity stemmed from early experiences. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "driven!" This became motivation to demonstrate he could succeed. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.
The next endeavor is making his own choreography. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the conventions 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 substance, drawing ideas from books, compositions, and art.
Close-Up Performance and Personal Dynamic
He additionally is interested in presenting dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past experience. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has made duets with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They aren’t typically 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 favorite cheerleader."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Image
On social media, followers can see clips from his dance films and images that highlight a athletic physique. Does he care that the engagement can be somewhat focused on appearance? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on various ways.
Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it lived up to his hopes? "I feel very aware of how reality is a separate thing to the dreams you made as a young person," he muses. He probably has about ten years of dancing left. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
