Within the quiet atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is naturally straight-backed, his arms muscular beneath a simple white T-shirt. On stage, ballet dancers can appear like powerful gods, yet often in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is part of his popularity for heroic characters and pas de deux work. With delicate features and piercing eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.
A Seamless Ascent to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has advanced smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered little ridicule for his early interest in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved directly into the troupe and was promoted annually, attaining the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on substantial characters, particularly the psychological angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
Ball's upcoming featured role is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series aiming to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a performer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a part, showing his mental workflow during execution. Yet in lighter works, the test is significant. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding technically," he states.
The Psychological Game and After the Show Feelings
What about after a show, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the character, frequently I do feel embarrassed later. After Mayerling I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer once observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite active usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for good change."
Formative Motivations and Creative Inspirations
His tenacity originated in early setbacks. Not doing well 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 fanatical," he recalls.
The next endeavor is making his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the conventions is interesting, but just acting 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 meaning, drawing ideas from books, music, and painting.
Close-Up Dance and Personal Dynamic
He also favors presenting dance in more intimate spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past show. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made pieces with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of faith between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They are not typically matched on stage at their home company, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."
On Social Media and Physical Perception
On Instagram, fans can see videos from his projects and images that highlight a athletic form. Does he care that the engagement can be somewhat objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on various ways.
Ball characterizes his early self as "eager for success." Did it lived up to his expectations? "I feel very aware of how reality is a separate thing to the aspirations you had as a child," he muses. He likely has another decade of dancing left. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
