In the hushed ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's posture is naturally straight-backed, his limbs defined beneath a simple tee. On stage, ballet dancers can appear like powerful gods, yet often offstage they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his popularity for heroic roles and partnering. Possessing delicate features and piercing eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has advanced smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced minimal ridicule for his early passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the company and was promoted annually, reaching the highest position of principal in 2018. He has loved tackling meaty characters, particularly the psychological turmoil found in a famed choreographer's works.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
His upcoming featured appearance is as himself, in an "Evening With" event designed to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a dancer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a part, demonstrating his cognitive workflow while performance. Yet in lighter ballets, the challenge is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he states.
The Mental Struggle and After the Show Emotions
How does he feel after a performance, when he has pulled it off? "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, quite often I do feel self-conscious afterwards. After an intense role I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a dance maker previously observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite active in general, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for good change."
Formative Motivations and Creative Influences
Ball's determination originated in youthful setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "driven!" This became motivation to demonstrate 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 endeavor is making his own choreography. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the rules is compelling, but just acting that they’re not a reality any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He aims his work to be filled with meaning, drawing inspiration from books, music, and art.
Close-Up Performance and Personal Dynamic
He additionally is interested in presenting dance in more intimate spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so near to the viewers. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has created pieces with his partner, 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 was like Dirty Dancing." They aren’t typically paired on stage at their main theater, 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 biggest supporter."
On Social Media and Bodily Image
On social media, fans can see clips from his dance films and photos that highlight a sculpted physique. Does he care that the engagement can be somewhat focused on appearance? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on multiple ways.
Ball describes his younger self as "eager for success." Did 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 likely has about ten years of dancing left. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
