In the quiet ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is effortlessly upright, his limbs muscular beneath a simple tee. On stage, dancers can appear like powerful gods, yet frequently offstage they are petite. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for heroic roles and partnering. With delicate traits and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Rise to the Pinnacle
Now 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has progressed smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered minimal ridicule for his early passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the troupe and was advanced each year, reaching the highest position of principal in 2018. He has loved tackling meaty dramatic roles, particularly the psychological angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
Ball's upcoming starring role is in a talk, in an "Evening With" event designed to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a performer's art. He will guide the crowd through a part, demonstrating his mental process while execution. Yet in lighter ballets, the test is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he states.
The Mental Game and Post-Performance Emotions
What about after a show, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the role, frequently I do feel embarrassed afterwards. Following Mayerling I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer once remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite energetic usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for good change."
Formative Drivers and Creative Inspirations
His tenacity originated in early experiences. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" It was motivation to demonstrate he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.
An upcoming endeavor is creating his own dance works. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the conventions is interesting, but just pretending that they’re not a thing 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 literature, compositions, and painting.
Intimate Performance and Personal Partnership
He additionally is interested in presenting dance in smaller venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past experience. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has made duets with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of faith between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They are not usually matched on stage at their main theater, which might be healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he admits. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Perception
On Instagram, followers can see clips from his dance films and photos that showcase a sculpted physique. Does he mind that the response can be a bit 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 seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on multiple ways.
Ball characterizes his early self as "eager for success." Has it lived up to his hopes? "I feel very aware of how reality is a different reality to the aspirations you made as a young person," he reflects. He probably has about decade of dancing left. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
