Within the hushed ambiance of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His posture is naturally upright, his arms muscular beneath a plain tee. On stage, ballet dancers can seem like mighty gods, yet frequently offstage they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose height is part of his popularity for princely characters and partnering. Possessing fine features and piercing eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Rise to the Top
At 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced little teasing for his early passion in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated straight into the company and was promoted annually, reaching the top rank of principal in 2018. He has loved taking on substantial dramatic roles, especially the emotional angst found in a famed choreographer's works.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
Ball's next starring appearance is as himself, in an "Evening With" series designed to offer intimate insights into a dancer's art. He will walk the audience through a role, showing his cognitive workflow during performance. Yet in lighter ballets, the challenge is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest technically," he states.
The Mental Game and After the Show Emotions
What about following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get lost in the character, frequently I do feel embarrassed afterwards. Following an intense role I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer previously remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite energetic usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for good change."
Formative Drivers and Artistic Inspirations
Ball's determination originated in youthful experiences. Not excelling in contests at school made him "driven!" This became fuel to demonstrate he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.
An upcoming challenge is creating his own dance works. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the conventions is interesting, but just pretending that they’re not a thing any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He wants his work to be filled with substance, drawing ideas from books, music, and painting.
Close-Up Performance and Private Dynamic
He additionally is interested in presenting dance in smaller venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous show. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has created duets with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of faith 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 typically paired on stage at their home company, which is perhaps 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 supporter."
On Social Media and Bodily Image
On Instagram, followers can see clips from his dance films and photos that showcase a athletic form. Does he mind that the engagement can be a bit objectifying? Not really. "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—something that can be seen on multiple levels.
Ball describes his early self as "eager for success." Did it lived up to his hopes? "I feel very aware of how reality is a separate reality to the aspirations you made as a young person," he reflects. He probably has about ten years of performing left. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
