Within the quiet ambiance of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is naturally straight-backed, his arms muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can seem as powerful deities, yet frequently in person they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is part of his popularity for princely roles and partnering. Possessing fine features and piercing eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.
An Apparent Rise to the Top
Now 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal ridicule for his early interest in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated directly into the troupe and was promoted annually, reaching the top rank of principal in 2018. He has relished taking on meaty dramatic roles, particularly the psychological angst found in a famed choreographer's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
His next starring role is as himself, in an "In Conversation" event aiming to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a dancer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a role, demonstrating his cognitive process during performance. 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 Game and After the Show Emotions
How does he feel after a performance, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the role, quite often I do feel self-conscious later. After an intense role I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. But a choreographer once observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very active usually, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."
Formative Motivations and Creative Influences
His tenacity originated in early setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "driven!" This became motivation to prove he could succeed. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.
An upcoming challenge is creating his own choreography. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the rules is compelling, but just pretending 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 filled with meaning, drawing ideas from literature, compositions, and painting.
Close-Up Performance and Private Partnership
He additionally favors presenting dance in smaller venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past show. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has created pieces with his partner, fellow principal 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 aren’t usually matched on stage at their home company, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he admits. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Perception
On Instagram, followers can see videos from his dance films and images that showcase a athletic form. Does he mind that the response can be somewhat objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on multiple levels.
Ball characterizes his early self as "eager for success." Did it met his expectations? "I feel very aware of how life is a different thing to the dreams you had as a child," he muses. He likely has about decade of performing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
