In the quiet atmosphere of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is naturally straight-backed, his limbs muscular beneath a simple white T-shirt. During performances, dancers can appear like mighty gods, yet often in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is part of his demand for heroic roles and pas de deux work. With fine 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 crest of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced little teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved directly into the company and was advanced each year, attaining the highest position of principal in 2018. He has relished tackling substantial characters, particularly the emotional turmoil 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 appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" event designed to offer intimate perspectives into a dancer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a part, demonstrating his mental workflow while execution. Even in more comedic works, the challenge is significant. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he notes.
The Psychological Game and Post-Performance Emotions
How does he feel following a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the role, quite often I do feel self-conscious later. Following an intense role I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker previously remarked 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 instigator for good change."
Formative Motivations and Artistic Influences
His determination stemmed from 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 "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.
An upcoming challenge is making his own dance works. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the conventions is compelling, 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 loaded with substance, drawing ideas from books, music, and art.
Close-Up Dance and Private Dynamic
He also is interested in presenting dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous show. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has created pieces with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t usually matched on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he admits. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Image
On Instagram, followers can see clips from his dance films and images that highlight a athletic form. Does he care that the engagement can be somewhat focused on appearance? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he explains. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on various ways.
Ball characterizes his younger self as "eager for success." Has it lived up to his expectations? "I feel very aware of how reality is a different reality to the aspirations you had as a child," he reflects. He probably has about ten years of dancing ahead. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
