In the hushed atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His posture is naturally straight-backed, his limbs defined beneath a simple white T-shirt. On stage, dancers can appear like powerful deities, yet frequently offstage they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is part of his popularity for heroic roles and pas de deux work. Possessing fine features and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Pinnacle
Now 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has progressed smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his early interest in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved straight into the company and was promoted each year, attaining the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved tackling meaty characters, especially the psychological angst found in a famed choreographer's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
Ball's next featured appearance is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" series aiming to offer intimate insights into a dancer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a part, showing his mental process while execution. Yet in lighter works, 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 character, quite often I do feel self-conscious afterwards. Following an intense role I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer previously remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very active in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for good change."
Formative Drivers and Artistic Influences
His determination stemmed from early setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "driven!" It was 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 fanatical," he recalls.
An upcoming endeavor is creating his own dance works. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the rules 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 meaning, drawing ideas from literature, music, and art.
Close-Up Dance and Personal Partnership
He additionally is interested in staging dance in smaller venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous show. "You’re so near to the viewers. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has created duets with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They are not typically matched on stage at their home company, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Image
On social media, fans can see videos from his projects and images that showcase a sculpted form. Does he care that the response 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—something that can be interpreted on multiple levels.
Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Did it met his expectations? "I feel very aware of how reality is a different thing to the dreams you made as a child," he reflects. He likely has about decade of dancing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
