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 defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, ballet dancers can seem as mighty deities, yet often in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is part of his popularity for heroic characters and pas de deux work. Possessing delicate traits and intense eyes, there's a hint 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 seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal ridicule for his childhood interest in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated directly into the troupe and was promoted each year, reaching the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved tackling meaty dramatic roles, particularly the psychological turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
His next starring role is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event designed to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a dancer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a part, demonstrating his cognitive workflow during execution. Yet in lighter ballets, the test is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest technically," he states.
The Psychological Struggle and Post-Performance Emotions
How does he feel following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the character, quite often I do feel self-conscious afterwards. Following an intense role I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker once observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite active in general, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for good change."
Early Motivations and Artistic Influences
Ball's tenacity stemmed from early setbacks. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" It was motivation to demonstrate he could succeed. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.
An upcoming challenge is making his own dance works. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the rules 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 filled with meaning, drawing inspiration from books, music, and art.
Intimate Performance and Private Partnership
He additionally is interested in staging dance in more intimate spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past experience. "You’re so near to the viewers. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made duets with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple are not usually paired on stage at their main theater, which might be 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 cheerleader."
On Social Media and Bodily Perception
On social media, fans can see clips from his projects and images that showcase a athletic form. Does he care that the engagement can be somewhat 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 seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on various levels.
Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Did it met his hopes? "I am conscious of how life is a separate thing to the dreams you made as a child," he muses. He likely has another ten years of performing ahead. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
