In the quiet atmosphere of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His posture is naturally straight-backed, his limbs defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, dancers can appear like powerful gods, yet frequently offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose height is one reason for his popularity for princely characters and pas de deux work. With fine traits and piercing eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has advanced smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated directly into the company and was advanced annually, reaching the highest position of principal in 2018. He has relished taking on substantial characters, particularly 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 upcoming featured role is as himself, in an "Evening With" event aiming to offer intimate insights into a dancer's craft. He will walk the audience through a role, showing his cognitive process while execution. Yet in lighter ballets, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest technically," he states.
The Psychological Game and Post-Performance Emotions
What about following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the character, quite often I do feel self-conscious afterwards. Following Mayerling I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer once observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite active usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."
Formative Motivations and Creative Inspirations
Ball's tenacity stemmed from youthful setbacks. Not excelling in contests at school made him "vengeful!" It was fuel 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 obsessive," he remembers.
An upcoming endeavor is making his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the conventions is interesting, 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 ideas from literature, compositions, and art.
Close-Up Dance and Personal Partnership
He additionally favors staging dance in more intimate spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past experience. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has made duets with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of faith between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple are not usually paired on stage at their home company, which might be healthy. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Image
On Instagram, followers can see clips from his dance films and photos that highlight a athletic form. Does he mind that the response 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 states. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on multiple ways.
Ball describes his early self as "eager for success." Has it lived up to his hopes? "I feel very aware of how life is a different thing to the dreams you had as a child," he reflects. He likely has about ten years of dancing left. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
