Within the quiet ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His posture is naturally upright, his arms defined beneath a plain tee. On stage, ballet dancers can appear as powerful gods, yet often offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose height is one reason for his popularity for princely characters and pas de deux work. Possessing delicate features and piercing eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Pinnacle
Now 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has progressed smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered minimal ridicule for his early passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the troupe and was advanced annually, reaching the top rank of principal in 2018. He has loved tackling substantial characters, especially the psychological angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
Ball's next starring appearance is as himself, in an "Evening With" series aiming to offer intimate perspectives into a dancer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a role, demonstrating his mental process while performance. Even in lighter ballets, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.
The Mental Game and After the Show Feelings
What about following a performance, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the character, quite often I do feel embarrassed later. Following Mayerling I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a dance maker previously observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very energetic in general, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for positive change."
Formative Motivations and Artistic Influences
His determination originated in youthful experiences. Not doing well in contests at school made him "vengeful!" It was fuel to prove he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.
The next challenge is creating his own choreography. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the conventions 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 aims his work to be loaded with meaning, drawing inspiration from books, music, and painting.
Close-Up Performance and Personal Dynamic
He additionally is interested in presenting dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has created pieces 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 audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They aren’t typically paired on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps beneficial. "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 supporter."
On Social Media and Physical Perception
On social media, followers can see videos from his projects and photos that highlight a athletic 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 states. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on multiple ways.
Ball characterizes his younger self as "eager for success." Did it lived up to his hopes? "I feel very aware of how life is a different thing to the aspirations you made as a young person," he muses. He probably has another decade of dancing left. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
