Within the hushed ambiance of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is effortlessly upright, his limbs muscular beneath a plain tee. During performances, ballet dancers can appear like mighty deities, yet frequently offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is part of his popularity for princely roles and partnering. With delicate features and piercing eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has advanced smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced little ridicule for his childhood interest in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated directly into the company and was advanced each year, reaching the top rank of principal in 2018. He has relished taking on meaty dramatic roles, especially the psychological turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
His next featured appearance is as himself, in an "In Conversation" series aiming to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a performer's art. He will guide the crowd through a role, demonstrating his mental workflow during performance. Even in lighter works, the challenge is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he states.
The Mental Game and After the Show Feelings
What about following a show, 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 character, frequently I do feel self-conscious later. Following an intense role I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer once remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very active usually, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."
Early Motivations and Creative Influences
Ball's determination stemmed from youthful setbacks. Not excelling in contests at school made him "vengeful!" It was fuel to demonstrate he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.
The next endeavor is making his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the conventions 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 substance, drawing ideas from books, compositions, and painting.
Close-Up Dance and Personal Partnership
He additionally is interested in presenting dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous show. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has made pieces with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level 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." The couple aren’t typically paired on stage at their home company, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he admits. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."
On Social Media and Bodily Perception
On Instagram, followers can see videos from his projects and photos that highlight a athletic form. Does he mind that the engagement can be a bit objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on multiple ways.
Ball describes his younger self as "eager for success." Did it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how life is a different reality to the dreams you made as a young person," he reflects. He probably has about decade of dancing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
