🔗 Share this article

Within the quiet ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is naturally upright, his limbs muscular beneath a simple tee. During performances, dancers can appear like powerful deities, yet often in person they are small. Not so Ball, whose height is one reason for his demand for heroic roles and partnering. Possessing fine traits and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.

An Apparent Rise to the Top

At 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered minimal ridicule for his early passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the troupe and was advanced annually, reaching the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on meaty dramatic roles, especially the emotional turmoil found in a famed choreographer's works.

"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."

Ball's next starring appearance is as himself, in an "Evening With" event designed to offer intimate insights into a performer's art. He will guide the audience through a role, demonstrating his cognitive process while execution. Even in more comedic ballets, the test is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he states.

The Mental Struggle and Post-Performance Feelings

How does he feel after a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the character, quite often I do feel embarrassed later. Following Mayerling I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"

In person, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer previously observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite active in general, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for good change."

Formative Motivations and Artistic Influences

His tenacity originated in early experiences. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" This became 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 obsessive," he recalls.

An upcoming endeavor is creating his own dance works. In his view, "organic movement has value." "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 meaning, drawing inspiration from literature, music, and painting.

Close-Up Dance and Personal Partnership

He also favors presenting dance in smaller venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past show. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re sweating.'"

Ball has created pieces with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple are not typically matched 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."

On Social Media and Physical Perception

On social media, fans can see videos from his projects and photos that highlight a sculpted form. Does he mind that the response can be somewhat focused on appearance? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on multiple ways.

Ball characterizes his early self as "eager for success." Has it lived up to his hopes? "I am conscious of how life is a different thing to the aspirations you had as a child," he muses. He likely has about decade of dancing ahead. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."