Within the hushed atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His posture is effortlessly straight-backed, his arms defined beneath a plain tee. On stage, dancers can appear like mighty deities, yet frequently offstage they are petite. Not so Ball, whose height is part of his popularity for princely characters and partnering. With delicate features and piercing eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Top
At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered minimal teasing for his early interest in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved directly into the company and was advanced annually, attaining the highest position of principal in 2018. He has loved tackling meaty dramatic roles, especially the emotional turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
Ball's upcoming featured appearance is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event aiming to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a dancer's art. He will walk the crowd through a part, demonstrating his cognitive workflow while performance. Even in more comedic ballets, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.
The Mental Game and Post-Performance Emotions
How does he feel following a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the character, quite often I do feel self-conscious afterwards. After an intense role I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker once remarked 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 pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for good change."
Early Drivers and Creative Influences
His determination originated in youthful experiences. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "driven!" It was motivation to demonstrate he could succeed. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.
The next challenge is making his own choreography. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the conventions 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 loaded with substance, drawing ideas from literature, music, and art.
Intimate Performance and Private Partnership
He also is interested in staging dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous show. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has created duets with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple are not usually matched on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps beneficial. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he admits. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Image
On social media, followers can see videos from his projects and images that showcase a sculpted form. 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 protective about it," he states. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on multiple levels.
Ball characterizes his early self as "desperate for success." Did it met his hopes? "I feel very aware of how life is a separate thing to the dreams you made as a child," he muses. He probably has another decade of dancing ahead. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
