Within the hushed atmosphere of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His posture is naturally straight-backed, his limbs muscular beneath a simple tee. During performances, ballet dancers can appear as mighty deities, yet often offstage they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is part of his popularity for heroic roles and pas de deux work. With delicate traits and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced little ridicule for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated straight into the troupe and was advanced annually, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on meaty dramatic roles, particularly the emotional 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 role is as himself, in an "In Conversation" event designed to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a performer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a role, demonstrating his mental process during execution. Yet in lighter ballets, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he states.
The Psychological Struggle and Post-Performance Emotions
What about after a show, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the character, quite often I do feel embarrassed afterwards. After an intense role I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker previously remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite active usually, 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 good change."
Early Motivations and Creative Inspirations
His determination originated in youthful experiences. Not excelling in contests at school made him "vengeful!" This became fuel to prove he could succeed. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.
The next endeavor is making his own choreography. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the rules is interesting, but just acting 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 books, music, and painting.
Intimate Performance and Private Partnership
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 realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has created duets with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of faith between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t usually paired on stage at their home company, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Image
On Instagram, fans can see videos from his projects and images that showcase a sculpted form. Does he care that the response can be a bit focused on appearance? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on various ways.
Ball characterizes his early self as "desperate for success." Did it lived up to his hopes? "I am conscious of how reality is a different reality to the aspirations you had as a child," he muses. He probably has another decade of performing left. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
