Within the hushed ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is effortlessly straight-backed, his limbs muscular beneath a plain tee. During performances, dancers can seem like mighty gods, yet frequently in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his popularity for heroic characters and partnering. Possessing delicate traits and piercing eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Top
At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has progressed smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered minimal teasing for his early passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated directly into the company and was promoted each year, attaining the top rank of principal in 2018. He has relished taking on meaty dramatic roles, especially the emotional turmoil found in a famed choreographer's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
His upcoming starring role is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event designed to offer intimate insights into a performer's art. He will guide the crowd through a role, showing his mental workflow during performance. Even in more comedic ballets, the test is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest technically," he notes.
The Psychological Game and After the Show Feelings
How does he feel following a show, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the role, quite often I do feel embarrassed later. After an intense role I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer previously remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very active usually, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for positive change."
Formative Drivers and Artistic Inspirations
His determination stemmed from early experiences. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" This became motivation to demonstrate he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.
The next challenge is making his own dance works. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the rules is interesting, 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 loaded with meaning, drawing inspiration from books, compositions, and art.
Intimate Dance and Personal Partnership
He additionally is interested in staging dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past show. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a human, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has made pieces with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t usually paired on stage at their home company, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he admits. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."
On Social Media and Bodily Image
On Instagram, fans can see videos from his projects and images that highlight a sculpted form. Does he care that the engagement can be a bit focused on appearance? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on various ways.
Ball characterizes his early self as "desperate for success." Did it met his hopes? "I am conscious of how reality is a separate reality to the aspirations you had as a young person," he muses. He likely has about ten years of performing ahead. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
