In the hushed ambiance of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's posture is naturally straight-backed, his arms muscular beneath a simple tee. On stage, ballet dancers can seem like mighty gods, yet frequently offstage they are petite. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his popularity for princely characters and partnering. Possessing delicate traits and intense eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Pinnacle
Now 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has progressed smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal ridicule for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated straight into the troupe and was promoted annually, attaining the top rank of principal in 2018. He has relished taking on substantial characters, particularly the psychological turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
Ball's next featured role is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series aiming to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a performer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a role, showing his cognitive workflow while execution. Yet in more comedic ballets, the test is significant. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding technically," he notes.
The Psychological Struggle and Post-Performance Feelings
What about following a performance, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get lost in the role, frequently I do feel embarrassed later. After Mayerling I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, 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'm quite energetic in general, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for good change."
Formative Motivations and Artistic Influences
Ball's determination stemmed from youthful setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "driven!" This became motivation to demonstrate he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.
An upcoming endeavor is creating his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the rules 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 loaded with meaning, drawing inspiration from books, compositions, and art.
Close-Up Performance and Personal Partnership
He additionally favors staging dance in smaller venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has created duets with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t typically paired on stage at their main theater, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Perception
On Instagram, fans can see clips from his projects and photos 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 states. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on various levels.
Ball characterizes his early self as "desperate for success." Has it lived up to his expectations? "I feel very aware of how reality is a separate thing to the aspirations you had as a young person," he reflects. He likely has about decade of performing ahead. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
