In the hushed atmosphere of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is naturally upright, his limbs muscular beneath a plain tee. On stage, dancers can appear like mighty gods, yet frequently offstage they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his demand for heroic roles and pas de deux work. Possessing delicate traits and intense eyes, there's a hint 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. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered minimal teasing for his childhood interest in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the troupe and was promoted annually, 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 neural fatigue."
Ball's upcoming featured role is in a talk, in an "Evening With" event designed to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a performer's art. He will walk the crowd through a role, demonstrating his cognitive workflow while execution. Yet in lighter works, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he states.
The Mental Game and After the Show Emotions
What about after a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the role, quite often I do feel embarrassed later. Following Mayerling I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. But a dance maker once observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very active in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for good change."
Early Motivations and Creative Inspirations
His tenacity stemmed from early experiences. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "driven!" This became fuel to demonstrate 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 remembers.
An upcoming challenge is creating his own choreography. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the conventions 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 aims his work to be loaded with meaning, drawing inspiration from literature, music, and painting.
Intimate Performance and Private Dynamic
He also favors staging dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past experience. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has created pieces with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple are not usually paired on stage at their main theater, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he admits. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."
On Social Media and Bodily Image
On Instagram, followers can see clips from his dance films and photos that highlight a sculpted physique. Does he mind that the engagement can be a bit focused on appearance? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on various levels.
Ball describes his early self as "desperate for success." Did it lived up to his hopes? "I feel very aware of how reality is a separate thing to the dreams you had as a child," he reflects. He probably has another decade of performing ahead. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
