Within the hushed atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His carriage is effortlessly upright, his arms defined beneath a plain tee. On stage, dancers can appear as mighty gods, yet often offstage they are petite. Not so Ball, whose height is part of his popularity for princely roles and pas de deux work. Possessing fine features and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has progressed smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his early passion in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated directly into the troupe and was promoted each year, attaining the top rank of principal in 2018. He has relished tackling meaty characters, particularly the emotional angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
Ball's next featured role is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event aiming to offer intimate perspectives into a performer's art. He will walk the crowd through a role, showing his cognitive process during execution. Yet in lighter works, the test is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he states.
The Psychological Game and After the Show Feelings
What about following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get lost in the character, quite often I do feel embarrassed later. After an intense role I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. But a choreographer previously observed on a "kind 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 negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."
Formative Motivations and Artistic Inspirations
His tenacity originated in youthful experiences. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" This became fuel to prove he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.
The next endeavor is making his own choreography. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Breaking 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 substance, drawing inspiration from literature, music, and art.
Close-Up Performance and Personal Partnership
He additionally is interested in staging dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past show. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has created pieces with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They aren’t usually matched on stage at their main theater, which might be healthy. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he admits. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."
On Social Media and Physical Perception
On Instagram, fans can see videos from his dance films and photos that showcase a sculpted physique. Does he care that the response can be a bit objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on various ways.
Ball describes his early self as "eager for success." Has it lived up to his hopes? "I am conscious of how reality is a different reality to the dreams you made as a child," he muses. He likely has about decade of performing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
