In the quiet atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His posture is naturally straight-backed, his limbs defined beneath a simple tee. During performances, ballet dancers can appear like mighty deities, yet frequently in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is part of his demand for princely characters and partnering. With fine features and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Rise to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has progressed smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved directly into the company and was promoted annually, attaining the highest position of principal in 2018. He has relished tackling substantial characters, particularly the emotional angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
Ball's next featured appearance is as himself, in an "In Conversation" series aiming to offer intimate insights into a dancer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a part, showing his mental process while execution. Yet in more comedic ballets, the test is significant. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding technically," he notes.
The Mental Struggle and After the Show Feelings
How does he feel following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the character, frequently I do feel embarrassed later. After an intense role I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer once observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very active usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for good change."
Early Drivers and Artistic Inspirations
Ball's tenacity originated in early experiences. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "driven!" This became motivation to prove he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.
The next challenge is creating his own dance works. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the conventions 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 filled with substance, drawing inspiration from books, music, and art.
Intimate Dance and Personal Partnership
He additionally favors presenting 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 realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has made pieces with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They are not typically paired on stage at their main theater, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."
On Social Media and Physical Image
On Instagram, fans can see clips from his dance films and photos that highlight 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 protective about it," he states. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on various levels.
Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it met his hopes? "I am conscious of how life is a different reality to the dreams you made as a young person," he muses. He probably has another decade of dancing left. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
