Within the quiet ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His carriage is naturally straight-backed, his arms muscular beneath a simple white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can appear like powerful gods, yet often offstage they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is part of his popularity for heroic roles and partnering. With fine traits and piercing eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.
An Apparent Rise to the Pinnacle
Now 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his early interest in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated directly into the company and was promoted each year, reaching the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved tackling substantial dramatic roles, particularly the emotional turmoil found in a famed choreographer's ballets.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
Ball's upcoming featured appearance is as himself, in an "In Conversation" series aiming to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a performer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a role, showing his cognitive workflow during performance. Yet in lighter ballets, the test is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding technically," he states.
The Mental Game and After the Show Feelings
How does he feel after a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the role, frequently I do feel embarrassed afterwards. After Mayerling I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a dance maker once observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite active usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for positive change."
Formative Drivers and Creative Inspirations
His tenacity stemmed from youthful experiences. Not excelling in contests at school made him "driven!" It was motivation to prove 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 recalls.
The next challenge is making his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the rules is interesting, but just pretending that they’re not a reality 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 literature, music, and painting.
Close-Up Performance and Private Partnership
He also is interested in staging dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past experience. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has made duets with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They are not typically matched on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he admits. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Perception
On Instagram, fans can see videos from his projects and images that highlight a sculpted form. Does he care 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 precious about it," he states. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on various levels.
Ball describes his early self as "desperate for success." Has it lived up to his hopes? "I feel very aware of how reality is a separate thing to the dreams you made as a child," he muses. He likely has another ten years of performing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
