Within the hushed atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's posture is naturally straight-backed, his limbs muscular beneath a simple tee. During performances, dancers can seem as powerful gods, yet often in person they are petite. Not so Ball, whose height is one reason for his demand for princely roles and partnering. With delicate features and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Rise to the Top
At 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered minimal teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated straight into the company and was promoted annually, attaining the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished taking on meaty dramatic roles, particularly the emotional turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
His upcoming starring appearance is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event aiming to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a dancer's art. He will guide the audience through a role, demonstrating his mental workflow during execution. Yet in more comedic works, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he states.
The Mental Struggle and Post-Performance Emotions
What about after a performance, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the role, frequently I do feel self-conscious later. Following Mayerling I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. But 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 reveals. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for good change."
Formative Motivations and Creative Inspirations
His determination stemmed from youthful experiences. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "driven!" This became fuel to prove he could succeed. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.
The next challenge is creating his own dance works. 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 wants his work to be filled with substance, drawing ideas from books, music, and painting.
Intimate Performance and Personal Partnership
He also favors staging dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous show. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made duets with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of faith between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They are not typically matched 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. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."
On Social Media and Physical Image
On social media, fans can see clips from his dance films and photos that highlight a sculpted form. Does he mind that the engagement can be a bit focused on appearance? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he explains. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on multiple levels.
Ball describes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it lived up to his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a different reality to the aspirations you made as a child," he reflects. He probably has another ten years of dancing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
