In the quiet atmosphere of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's posture is naturally upright, his limbs defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, dancers can appear as powerful deities, yet frequently offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose height is part of his popularity for princely characters and pas de deux work. Possessing fine traits and intense eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle
Now 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered little teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the troupe and was promoted annually, reaching the highest position of principal in 2018. He has relished tackling meaty dramatic roles, particularly the emotional turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
His next featured appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series aiming to offer intimate perspectives into a dancer's art. He will guide the audience through a part, showing his cognitive process while execution. Even in lighter ballets, the test is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.
The Psychological Game and Post-Performance Feelings
How does he feel after a performance, when he has succeeded? "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, quite often I do feel self-conscious later. After Mayerling I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker previously observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite active in general, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for good change."
Formative Drivers and Artistic Inspirations
His tenacity originated in early setbacks. Not excelling in contests at school made him "driven!" It was fuel to demonstrate he could succeed. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.
The next endeavor is creating his own dance works. In his view, "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 wants his work to be filled with substance, drawing inspiration from books, music, and painting.
Close-Up Dance and Personal Dynamic
He also is interested in presenting dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made pieces with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They are not typically paired on stage at their home company, which is perhaps beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite supporter."
On Social Media and Bodily Image
On social media, followers can see videos from his projects and photos that showcase a sculpted physique. Does he mind that the response can be somewhat focused on appearance? 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 ways.
Ball describes his younger self as "eager for success." Did it met his hopes? "I am conscious of how life is a different thing to the aspirations you made as a child," he reflects. He probably has another decade of performing left. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
