Within the hushed ambiance of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His posture is naturally straight-backed, his limbs muscular beneath a plain tee. During performances, dancers can appear like powerful deities, yet often offstage they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is part of his popularity for princely characters and pas de deux work. Possessing fine features and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Top
Now 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has advanced smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered little ridicule for his early passion in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated directly into the company and was promoted each year, reaching the top rank of principal in 2018. He has relished taking on substantial dramatic roles, particularly the emotional turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
His next starring role is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event designed to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a dancer's art. He will guide the crowd through a part, demonstrating his mental workflow during performance. Even in more comedic ballets, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest technically," he notes.
The Psychological Struggle and After the Show Emotions
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 emotion out of it, and get lost in the role, frequently I do feel embarrassed afterwards. After an intense role I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer once observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite energetic usually, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."
Formative Motivations and Artistic Inspirations
His tenacity stemmed from early setbacks. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" This became fuel to demonstrate he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.
The next challenge is creating his own choreography. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the conventions 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 wants his work to be filled with substance, drawing ideas from books, compositions, and art.
Close-Up Performance and Personal Partnership
He additionally favors presenting dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made pieces with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They aren’t typically paired 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 notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite supporter."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Perception
On social media, fans can see clips from his projects and photos that highlight a athletic physique. Does he mind that the engagement can be somewhat objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he explains. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on multiple levels.
Ball describes his younger self as "desperate for success." Did it lived up to his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a separate thing to the aspirations you had as a child," he muses. He probably has another decade of dancing ahead. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
