Within the quiet ambiance of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is effortlessly straight-backed, his limbs muscular beneath a plain tee. On stage, dancers can appear like powerful gods, yet frequently in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his popularity for heroic characters and partnering. With fine traits and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.
A Seamless Rise to the Top
At 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has progressed smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced minimal ridicule for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated directly into the troupe and was advanced each year, attaining the highest position of principal in 2018. He has loved tackling substantial dramatic roles, particularly the psychological turmoil found in a famed choreographer's ballets.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
Ball's next featured appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series designed to offer intimate perspectives into a performer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a role, showing his mental process during execution. Even in lighter works, the test is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding technically," he notes.
The Mental Struggle and After the Show Emotions
What about following a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the role, frequently I do feel embarrassed later. After Mayerling I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is reflective, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet 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 reveals. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."
Formative Drivers and Artistic Inspirations
His determination originated in early setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "driven!" It was fuel to demonstrate he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.
An upcoming challenge is making his own choreography. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the rules is interesting, but just pretending that they’re not a thing any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He aims his work to be loaded with meaning, drawing inspiration from books, compositions, and painting.
Close-Up Performance and Personal Dynamic
He additionally is interested in presenting dance in smaller spaces. "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 person, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has created pieces with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They are not typically paired on stage at their home company, which is perhaps 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 cheerleader."
On Social Media and Physical Perception
On Instagram, fans can see clips from his dance films and images that highlight a sculpted physique. Does he mind that the engagement can be a bit objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he explains. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on various ways.
Ball characterizes his early self as "desperate for success." Has it lived up to his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a different thing to the aspirations you made as a child," he reflects. He likely has another ten years of dancing ahead. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
