In the hushed atmosphere of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is naturally upright, his arms defined beneath a plain tee. On stage, dancers can appear like powerful gods, yet frequently in person they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is part of his demand for princely roles and partnering. With 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 crest of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered minimal teasing for his early interest in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the company and was advanced each year, reaching the top rank of principal in 2018. He has relished tackling meaty characters, particularly the emotional angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
His upcoming featured appearance is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" series designed to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a dancer's craft. He will guide the audience through a role, showing his mental process while execution. Even in more comedic works, the test is significant. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.
The Psychological Game and After the Show Emotions
What about after a performance, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get lost in the role, quite often I do feel embarrassed later. Following Mayerling I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. But a dance maker once remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very energetic in general, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for positive change."
Early Drivers and Artistic Influences
Ball's determination stemmed from early setbacks. Not doing well in contests at school made him "driven!" It was motivation to demonstrate he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.
An upcoming endeavor is making his own dance works. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the rules is compelling, but just pretending 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 filled with substance, drawing ideas from books, music, and art.
Intimate Performance and Personal Dynamic
He additionally is interested in presenting dance in more intimate spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past experience. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a human, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has created pieces with his partner, 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 was like Dirty Dancing." They aren’t typically matched on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "But 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 showcase a sculpted form. Does he mind that the response can be a bit focused on appearance? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he explains. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on multiple levels.
Ball characterizes his younger self as "eager for success." Has it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a separate reality to the dreams you made as a child," he muses. He probably has about ten years of dancing ahead. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
