Within the quiet ambiance of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His posture is effortlessly upright, his arms muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can appear as mighty gods, yet often in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for princely characters and partnering. Possessing delicate features and piercing eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Top
Now 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has advanced smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated straight into the troupe and was advanced each year, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved tackling substantial dramatic roles, particularly the emotional turmoil found in a famed choreographer's works.
"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" event designed to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a dancer's art. He will guide the crowd through a role, showing his mental process during execution. Yet in more comedic ballets, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest technically," he notes.
The Mental Struggle and After the Show Feelings
How does he feel after a performance, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the role, frequently I do feel embarrassed afterwards. Following Mayerling I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer previously observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very active 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 Drivers and Creative Inspirations
His determination originated in youthful experiences. Not excelling in contests at school made him "vengeful!" This became fuel to demonstrate he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.
The next endeavor is creating his own choreography. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the rules is interesting, but just pretending that they’re not a reality any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He wants his work to be filled with meaning, drawing ideas from literature, compositions, and painting.
Intimate Dance and Private Dynamic
He additionally is interested in staging dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous 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 made duets with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple are not typically paired on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Perception
On social media, followers can see videos from his dance films and photos that showcase a sculpted physique. Does he care that the response can be somewhat objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on multiple ways.
Ball describes his younger self as "desperate for success." Did it lived up to his hopes? "I feel very aware of how life is a separate thing to the dreams you made as a child," he reflects. He probably has another ten years of performing left. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
