In the quiet atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is effortlessly straight-backed, his arms defined beneath a plain tee. On stage, dancers can appear as powerful deities, yet often offstage they are petite. Not so Ball, whose height is one reason for his popularity for heroic characters and pas de deux work. With delicate features and piercing eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Rise to the Pinnacle
Now 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced little teasing for his early interest in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated straight into the troupe and was promoted annually, reaching the highest position of principal in 2018. He has loved tackling substantial characters, especially the emotional angst found in a famed choreographer's works.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
Ball's next featured role is in a talk, in an "Evening With" event designed to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a dancer's craft. He will walk the audience through a part, showing his mental workflow while execution. Yet in more comedic works, the test is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest technically," he states.
The Psychological Struggle and Post-Performance Emotions
How does he feel following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the role, frequently I do feel self-conscious afterwards. Following an intense role I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a dance maker previously observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite active in general, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for good change."
Formative Drivers and Artistic Inspirations
His determination originated in early experiences. Not doing well in contests at school made him "driven!" This became fuel to prove he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.
An upcoming challenge is creating his own choreography. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the rules 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 substance, drawing inspiration from literature, music, and art.
Intimate Dance and Private Dynamic
He additionally is interested in staging dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really exciting," 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 sweating.'"
Ball has made duets with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They are not typically paired on stage at their home company, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Image
On social media, followers can see clips from his projects and photos that showcase a sculpted physique. Does he mind that the response can be somewhat objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on multiple levels.
Ball describes his younger self as "eager for success." Has it lived up to his expectations? "I feel very aware of how life is a different reality to the dreams you had as a child," he reflects. He probably has another ten years of dancing left. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
