In the hushed atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is effortlessly upright, his arms muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, ballet dancers can appear like powerful deities, yet often offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is part of his popularity for heroic characters and pas de deux work. Possessing delicate features and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Rise to the Top
Now 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has advanced smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal ridicule for his early interest in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved directly into the troupe and was advanced each year, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished tackling meaty characters, especially the psychological angst found in a famed choreographer's works.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
His next featured role is as himself, in an "In Conversation" event aiming to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a dancer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a part, showing his mental process during execution. Even in more comedic works, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he notes.
The Psychological Struggle and After the Show Emotions
How does he feel following a performance, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get lost in the character, frequently I do feel self-conscious afterwards. After an intense role I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker once observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "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 Creative Inspirations
His determination stemmed from youthful setbacks. Not excelling in contests at school made him "driven!" It was motivation to prove he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.
An upcoming challenge 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 ideas from books, music, and painting.
Intimate Performance and Personal Partnership
He also is interested in staging dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous show. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"
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 resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple are not usually matched 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."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Image
On social media, followers can see videos from his projects and photos that highlight a athletic form. Does he care that the response can be a bit focused on appearance? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on various ways.
Ball describes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it met his expectations? "I feel very aware of how reality is a separate reality to the dreams you made as a young person," he muses. He likely has about ten years of performing left. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
