In the quiet atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's posture is effortlessly straight-backed, his arms defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. During performances, dancers can appear as mighty gods, yet frequently in person they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is part of his popularity for princely roles and pas de deux work. Possessing delicate features and intense eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Rise to the Top
Now 31, Ball is experiencing 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 moved directly into the company and was promoted each year, reaching the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on meaty dramatic roles, especially the psychological turmoil found in a famed choreographer's works.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
Ball's next starring role is as himself, in an "Evening With" event aiming to offer intimate perspectives into a performer's art. He will guide the crowd through a part, demonstrating his cognitive process during performance. Even in more comedic ballets, the test is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he notes.
The Psychological Game and After the Show Feelings
What about following a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the character, frequently I do feel self-conscious afterwards. After Mayerling I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker previously remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very active usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."
Early Drivers and Creative Influences
His tenacity originated in youthful experiences. Not excelling in contests at school made him "vengeful!" It was motivation to prove he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.
The next challenge is creating his own choreography. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the conventions is compelling, 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 loaded with meaning, drawing inspiration from literature, music, and art.
Intimate Performance and Personal Dynamic
He additionally favors presenting dance in smaller venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past experience. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made pieces with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They aren’t typically matched on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."
On Social Media and Bodily Perception
On social media, followers can see videos from his dance films and images that highlight a sculpted form. Does he care that the response can be a bit focused on appearance? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he explains. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something 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 reality is a separate thing to the aspirations you had as a child," he reflects. He probably has about decade of performing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
