Within the quiet ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's posture is effortlessly straight-backed, his arms defined beneath a plain tee. During performances, ballet dancers can seem as mighty deities, yet often offstage they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for princely characters and pas de deux work. Possessing fine traits and intense eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.
A Seamless Rise to the Top
Now 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced little teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated straight into the troupe and was promoted each year, reaching the top rank of principal in 2018. He has loved tackling meaty dramatic roles, especially the psychological angst 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 appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" event designed to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a performer's craft. He will guide the audience through a role, demonstrating his cognitive process during execution. Yet in more comedic ballets, the test is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding technically," he notes.
The Psychological Game and After the Show Emotions
What about after a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the character, frequently I do feel self-conscious later. Following an intense role I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. But a choreographer once observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite energetic usually, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for good change."
Formative Drivers and Artistic Inspirations
His tenacity originated in youthful experiences. Not doing well in contests at school made him "driven!" It was motivation to demonstrate he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.
The next endeavor is creating his own choreography. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the conventions is compelling, 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 substance, drawing inspiration from books, compositions, and art.
Close-Up Performance and Personal Partnership
He also is interested in staging dance in smaller venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous show. "You’re so near to the viewers. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made duets with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious 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 determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite supporter."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Perception
On Instagram, followers can see videos from his projects and images that showcase a sculpted form. Does he care that the response can be somewhat 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—an object that can be seen on various ways.
Ball characterizes his early self as "desperate for success." Did it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how life is a different reality to the dreams you had as a young person," he reflects. He likely has about decade of dancing left. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
