In the hushed atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is naturally upright, his limbs defined beneath a simple tee. During performances, dancers can appear like powerful deities, yet frequently offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is part of his popularity for heroic roles and partnering. Possessing fine features and intense eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.
An Apparent Rise to the Top
At 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has progressed smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced little ridicule for his childhood interest in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved directly into the company and was advanced annually, reaching the highest position of principal in 2018. He has relished taking on substantial characters, particularly 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 as himself, in an "In Conversation" series aiming to offer intimate insights into a performer's art. He will guide the crowd through a part, demonstrating his mental workflow during performance. Yet in more comedic ballets, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he notes.
The Psychological Struggle and After the Show Emotions
How does he feel after a performance, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the character, quite often I do feel self-conscious later. After an intense role I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a dance maker previously remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite active in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for good change."
Early Drivers and Creative Inspirations
His tenacity stemmed from youthful 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 changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.
The next challenge is making his own choreography. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the rules is interesting, but just pretending that they’re not a reality 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 literature, compositions, and painting.
Close-Up Performance and Personal Partnership
He additionally favors presenting dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous show. "You’re so close to the viewers. 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 degree of faith between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple are not usually 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 notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."
On Social Media and Bodily Image
On Instagram, fans can see clips from his projects and photos that highlight a athletic form. Does he mind that the engagement can be a bit focused on appearance? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on multiple ways.
Ball describes his younger self as "desperate for success." Did it met his expectations? "I feel very aware of how life is a separate reality to the aspirations you had as a young person," he muses. He likely has another ten years of dancing left. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
