Within the quiet atmosphere of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is naturally upright, his limbs defined beneath a simple white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can seem like powerful gods, yet often offstage they are petite. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for princely characters and pas de deux work. Possessing delicate features and intense eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered minimal teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved directly into the company and was advanced each year, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on meaty dramatic roles, particularly the emotional turmoil found in a famed choreographer's works.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
His next featured appearance is as himself, in an "In Conversation" event designed to offer intimate insights into a performer's craft. He will guide the audience through a part, demonstrating his mental workflow during performance. Yet in more comedic ballets, the test is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he states.
The Psychological Game and After the Show Emotions
How does he feel following a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the role, quite often I do feel self-conscious later. After Mayerling I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer once observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very active in general, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."
Formative Motivations and Creative Inspirations
Ball's determination stemmed from youthful experiences. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "driven!" This became motivation 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 recalls.
The next challenge is creating his own choreography. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the rules 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 wants his work to be filled with substance, drawing ideas from literature, compositions, and painting.
Close-Up Dance and Personal Dynamic
He additionally favors presenting dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past experience. "You’re so near to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a human, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has made pieces with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level 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 usually matched on stage at their main theater, 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 Perception
On Instagram, fans can see videos from his dance films and images that showcase a athletic 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 states. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on various levels.
Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Did it lived up to his hopes? "I am conscious of how reality is a different reality to the aspirations you had as a young person," he reflects. He likely has about ten years of dancing left. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
