In the hushed atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is naturally straight-backed, his arms defined beneath a simple tee. During performances, dancers can seem like mighty deities, yet often in person they are petite. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for heroic characters and pas de deux work. Possessing fine traits and piercing eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced little teasing for his childhood interest in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated straight into the company and was advanced each year, attaining the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved tackling substantial characters, especially the emotional turmoil found in a famed choreographer's works.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
His upcoming featured appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series aiming to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a dancer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a role, showing his mental workflow while execution. Yet in lighter works, the test is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.
The Mental Struggle and Post-Performance Emotions
How does he feel following a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the role, frequently I do feel self-conscious later. Following an intense role I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. But a choreographer previously observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite energetic usually, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for good change."
Early Drivers and Creative Inspirations
Ball's determination stemmed from youthful setbacks. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" It was motivation to prove he could achieve. Discovering 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. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the conventions 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 aims his work to be loaded with substance, drawing ideas from literature, compositions, and painting.
Close-Up Dance and Private Dynamic
He also is interested in presenting dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous show. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has created duets with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of faith between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They aren’t usually matched on stage at their home company, which is perhaps beneficial. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."
On Social Media and Physical Perception
On social media, fans can see clips from his dance films and images that showcase a athletic physique. Does he care that the response can be somewhat objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he explains. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on multiple levels.
Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Did it lived up to his expectations? "I am conscious of how life is a separate reality to the aspirations you had as a child," he reflects. He likely has another ten years of performing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."