In the hushed ambiance of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's posture is naturally upright, his arms defined beneath a plain tee. On stage, dancers can appear as mighty deities, yet often offstage they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for princely characters and partnering. Possessing delicate features and piercing eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Rise to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has advanced smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced little teasing for his childhood passion 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 taking on substantial characters, particularly the psychological turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
Ball's upcoming featured role is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" series aiming to offer intimate perspectives into a performer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a part, demonstrating his mental process during performance. Yet in more comedic works, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest technically," he notes.
The Mental Struggle and After the Show Emotions
What about following a performance, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the character, frequently I do feel embarrassed later. Following Mayerling I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer previously remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very energetic in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for positive change."
Early Motivations and Creative Influences
Ball's determination originated in youthful setbacks. Not doing well in contests at school made him "driven!" This became fuel to demonstrate he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.
The next endeavor is making his own choreography. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the rules is compelling, 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 loaded with meaning, drawing ideas from books, compositions, and painting.
Close-Up Dance and Personal Partnership
He additionally favors staging dance in more intimate spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has made pieces with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t usually paired on stage at their main theater, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he admits. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite supporter."
On Social Media and Bodily Perception
On social media, fans can see clips from his projects and photos that highlight a athletic 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 seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on various levels.
Ball describes his younger self as "desperate for success." Did it met his hopes? "I am conscious of how reality is a different reality to the dreams you had as a young person," he reflects. He likely has about ten years of dancing left. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
