In the quiet ambiance of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His posture is naturally straight-backed, his arms muscular beneath a simple white T-shirt. During performances, dancers can seem as mighty deities, yet often offstage they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his demand for heroic characters and pas de deux work. Possessing fine traits and piercing eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Top
Now 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced little ridicule for his early passion in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated straight into the troupe and was promoted each year, reaching the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on meaty characters, especially the psychological angst found in a famed choreographer's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
His upcoming starring appearance is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event aiming to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a dancer's art. He will guide the crowd through a part, demonstrating his cognitive workflow during performance. Even in more comedic ballets, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding technically," he notes.
The Mental Struggle and After the Show Feelings
How does he feel following a show, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get lost in the character, frequently I do feel embarrassed later. After Mayerling I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer once remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite active usually, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for positive change."
Formative Drivers and Artistic Influences
Ball's determination stemmed from early setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" This became fuel to prove he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.
An upcoming challenge is creating his own choreography. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Breaking 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 substance, drawing inspiration from books, music, and art.
Intimate Dance and Private Dynamic
He additionally favors presenting dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past experience. "You’re so near to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a human, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has created duets with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They aren’t typically paired on stage at their home company, which might be healthy. "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."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Perception
On Instagram, fans can see clips from his dance films and photos that highlight a sculpted physique. Does he care that the engagement can be a bit focused on appearance? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on multiple ways.
Ball describes his younger self as "eager for success." Did it lived up to his hopes? "I feel very aware of how reality is a separate thing to the dreams you made as a young person," he muses. He likely has about ten years of performing left. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
