Within the hushed ambiance of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is naturally upright, his limbs muscular beneath a simple white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can appear as mighty deities, yet often in person they are petite. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is part of his demand for heroic characters and pas de deux work. With delicate traits and intense eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle
Now 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has advanced smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered little teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved directly into the troupe and was advanced annually, reaching the highest position of principal in 2018. He has loved taking on meaty dramatic roles, particularly the psychological turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
His next featured appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series aiming to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a dancer's art. He will walk the audience through a role, 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 Struggle and After the Show Feelings
How does he feel following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the character, quite often I do feel embarrassed later. Following Mayerling I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is reflective, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. But a choreographer once remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite energetic usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for good change."
Early Motivations and Creative Influences
Ball's tenacity stemmed from youthful experiences. Not doing well in contests at school made him "driven!" This became fuel to demonstrate he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.
The next endeavor is making his own dance works. 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 aims his work to be loaded with meaning, drawing inspiration from books, compositions, and art.
Intimate Performance and Private Dynamic
He also favors presenting dance in smaller 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 realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made 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 daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They are not typically matched on stage at their home company, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he admits. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."
On Social Media and Physical Image
On Instagram, followers can see clips from his dance films and images that showcase a athletic physique. Does he care that the engagement can be a bit focused on appearance? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on multiple ways.
Ball characterizes his younger self as "eager for success." Did it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how life is a separate reality to the dreams you had as a young person," he muses. He likely has another ten years of performing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
