In the quiet ambiance of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is naturally upright, his limbs defined beneath a plain tee. On stage, dancers can appear like powerful gods, yet frequently offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for heroic characters and pas de deux work. With fine features and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his early interest in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved straight into the company and was advanced each year, reaching the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished tackling meaty dramatic roles, especially the psychological angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
His upcoming featured role is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" series designed to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a performer's art. He will guide the audience through a part, demonstrating his mental process during performance. Even in lighter works, the challenge is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he states.
The Mental Struggle and Post-Performance Emotions
What about following a show, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get lost in the role, quite often I do feel self-conscious later. After Mayerling I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer once observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite energetic usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for good change."
Early Motivations and Artistic Influences
His tenacity stemmed from youthful experiences. Not doing well in contests at school made him "vengeful!" It was fuel 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.
The next challenge is creating his own choreography. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the rules is interesting, 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 filled with meaning, drawing inspiration from books, compositions, and painting.
Intimate Performance and Private Partnership
He additionally favors presenting dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous show. "You’re so near to the viewers. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made duets with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t typically matched on stage at their home company, which might be 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 Image
On social media, fans can see clips from his projects and photos that showcase a sculpted form. Does he care that the engagement can be somewhat objectifying? Not particularly. "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." Has it met his hopes? "I feel very aware of how reality is a separate thing to the aspirations you made as a young person," he muses. He likely has about ten years of dancing ahead. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
