In the quiet ambiance of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is effortlessly upright, his limbs muscular beneath a simple white T-shirt. During performances, dancers can appear as powerful gods, yet frequently in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his popularity for heroic roles and pas de deux work. With delicate features and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Pinnacle
Now 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal ridicule for his childhood interest in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated directly into the troupe and was promoted annually, reaching the top rank of principal in 2018. He has relished taking on meaty dramatic roles, especially the emotional turmoil found in a famed choreographer's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
His next featured role is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event designed to offer intimate perspectives into a dancer's art. He will guide the crowd through a part, showing his mental workflow during performance. Even in more comedic works, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he states.
The Mental Struggle and Post-Performance Feelings
What about after a performance, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the role, quite often I do feel embarrassed afterwards. After an intense role I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer previously observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite active in general, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for good change."
Formative Motivations and Artistic Influences
Ball's determination stemmed from early setbacks. Not doing well in contests at school made him "driven!" It was motivation to prove he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.
The next challenge is creating his own choreography. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the conventions is interesting, but just pretending that they’re not a thing any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He wants his work to be filled with substance, drawing inspiration from books, music, and art.
Intimate Performance and Private Partnership
He also is interested in presenting dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past experience. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has created duets with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of faith between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t typically paired on stage at their home company, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Image
On Instagram, fans can see videos from his projects and images that showcase a sculpted physique. Does he mind that the engagement can be somewhat objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on multiple ways.
Ball describes his early self as "desperate for success." Did it lived up to his hopes? "I am conscious of how reality is a separate thing to the dreams you had as a young person," he muses. He probably has another decade of performing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
