Within the hushed atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His posture is naturally straight-backed, his limbs defined beneath a plain tee. On stage, ballet dancers can appear like mighty gods, yet frequently in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for princely characters and partnering. Possessing fine traits and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Top
At 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered little ridicule for his childhood interest in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved directly into the troupe and was promoted each year, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved tackling substantial dramatic roles, particularly the emotional angst found in a famed choreographer's works.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
His next starring role is as himself, in an "Evening With" event aiming to offer intimate perspectives into a performer's art. He will guide the audience through a part, showing his mental workflow while execution. Yet in more comedic works, the test is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest technically," he states.
The Mental Struggle and Post-Performance Feelings
How does he feel following a show, 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 character, frequently I do feel self-conscious afterwards. Following an intense role I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. But a choreographer previously remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very energetic usually, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for positive change."
Formative Drivers and Artistic Inspirations
His tenacity stemmed from youthful setbacks. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" This became fuel to demonstrate he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.
The next challenge is creating his own choreography. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the conventions is compelling, but just pretending 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 loaded with substance, drawing ideas from literature, music, and painting.
Close-Up Dance and Private Partnership
He also favors staging dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really exciting," 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 sweating.'"
Ball has made pieces with his girlfriend, 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 resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t usually matched on stage at their home company, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Image
On Instagram, fans can see videos from his projects and images that highlight a athletic physique. Does he care that the engagement can be somewhat objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he explains. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on multiple levels.
Ball describes his early self as "desperate for success." Has it lived up to his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a different thing to the aspirations you made as a child," he muses. He probably has about decade of performing ahead. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
