In the quiet ambiance of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's posture is naturally straight-backed, his limbs muscular beneath a simple white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can seem like mighty deities, yet often in person they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for heroic roles and partnering. With fine traits and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Top
Now 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced little ridicule for his early passion in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated straight into the troupe and was advanced annually, attaining the top rank of principal in 2018. He has loved taking on meaty characters, particularly the emotional angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
Ball's upcoming starring appearance is as himself, in an "In Conversation" event designed to offer intimate perspectives into a performer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a part, demonstrating his cognitive workflow while execution. Yet in more comedic works, the test is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he notes.
The Psychological Game and After the Show Emotions
What about following a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the role, frequently I do feel self-conscious later. After Mayerling I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is reflective, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer once observed 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 negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for good change."
Early Motivations and Creative Influences
His tenacity originated in youthful setbacks. Not excelling in contests at school made him "driven!" This became motivation to prove he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.
The next endeavor is making his own dance works. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Challenging 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 wants his work to be loaded with substance, drawing inspiration from books, compositions, and art.
Intimate Performance and Personal Dynamic
He also favors staging dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has made duets with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of trust 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 typically paired on stage at their main theater, which might be beneficial. "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 Image
On Instagram, followers can see clips from his projects and images that showcase a athletic form. Does he care that the response can be a bit objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on various levels.
Ball describes his younger self as "desperate for success." Did it lived up to his hopes? "I feel very aware of how life is a different thing to the aspirations you had as a young person," he reflects. He likely has about ten years of performing left. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
