In the quiet atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is naturally upright, his limbs muscular beneath a simple white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can appear like powerful deities, yet frequently in person they are petite. Not so Ball, whose height is part of his popularity for heroic characters and pas de deux work. With fine features and piercing eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Top
At 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has advanced smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his early interest in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved straight into the company and was advanced each year, attaining the top rank of principal in 2018. He has loved tackling meaty dramatic roles, especially the psychological turmoil found in a famed choreographer's ballets.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
Ball's next featured role is as himself, in an "Evening With" event designed to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a performer's craft. He will guide the audience through a role, demonstrating his mental workflow during execution. Yet in lighter ballets, the test is significant. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he states.
The Mental Game and After the Show Feelings
What about after a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get lost in the character, quite often I do feel self-conscious afterwards. After Mayerling I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer previously observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite energetic 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 instigator for good change."
Early Drivers and Creative Inspirations
Ball's tenacity originated in youthful experiences. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" It was motivation to prove 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.
An upcoming endeavor is making his own choreography. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the conventions 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 substance, drawing inspiration from literature, music, and painting.
Intimate Performance and Private Partnership
He also is interested in staging dance in smaller venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made pieces with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t typically paired on stage at their home company, which is perhaps beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he admits. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Image
On social media, followers can see videos from his dance films and photos that showcase a sculpted physique. Does he mind that the response can be a bit objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on various ways.
Ball describes his early self as "desperate for success." Did it met his hopes? "I am conscious of how reality is a different reality to the dreams you made as a young person," he reflects. He probably has another decade of performing ahead. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
