In the quiet ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's posture is effortlessly upright, his limbs defined beneath a simple tee. During performances, ballet dancers can seem as mighty gods, yet often offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose height is part of his popularity for heroic characters and partnering. With fine features and piercing eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.
An Apparent Rise to the Pinnacle
Now 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his early passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated straight into the troupe and was advanced each year, attaining the highest position of principal in 2018. He has relished taking on substantial dramatic roles, particularly the psychological angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
His next featured role is as himself, in an "In Conversation" series designed to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a performer's art. He will guide the audience through a part, demonstrating his mental workflow during performance. Yet in lighter ballets, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he notes.
The Psychological Game and After the Show Emotions
What about after a performance, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the character, frequently I do feel embarrassed later. After an intense role I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer once remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very active usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for good change."
Early Motivations and Creative Influences
His tenacity originated in youthful setbacks. Not excelling in contests at school made him "vengeful!" This became motivation to demonstrate he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.
An upcoming endeavor is making his own choreography. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the rules is compelling, but just pretending that they’re not a thing any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He wants his work to be loaded with meaning, drawing ideas from books, compositions, and painting.
Intimate Dance and Personal Dynamic
He additionally is interested in presenting dance in more intimate spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past show. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has created duets with his girlfriend, 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 resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple are not typically paired on stage at their main theater, which might be 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, fans can see videos from his dance films and images that showcase a sculpted physique. Does he care that the engagement can be somewhat focused on appearance? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on multiple levels.
Ball describes his early self as "desperate for success." Did it met his hopes? "I feel very aware of how life is a separate reality to the aspirations you had as a child," he muses. He likely has another ten years of performing left. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
