🔗 Share this article

In the hushed atmosphere of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's posture is effortlessly straight-backed, his arms muscular beneath a plain tee. On stage, dancers can seem like mighty gods, yet often offstage they are petite. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is part of his popularity for heroic characters and pas de deux work. Possessing fine traits and piercing eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.

A Seamless Ascent to the Top

Now 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has progressed smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered little ridicule for his childhood interest in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved directly into the troupe and was promoted each year, attaining the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved tackling meaty dramatic roles, particularly the psychological turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.

"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."

Ball's next featured appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" event aiming to offer intimate perspectives into a performer's craft. He will walk the audience through a role, showing his mental workflow while execution. Yet in lighter works, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest technically," he notes.

The Mental Struggle and Post-Performance Emotions

How does he feel following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get lost in the role, quite often I do feel embarrassed later. After Mayerling I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"

In person, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, 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 pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for good change."

Early Motivations and Artistic Influences

Ball's determination originated in early experiences. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "driven!" It was motivation to prove he could succeed. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.

The next challenge is creating his own dance works. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "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 filled with meaning, drawing inspiration from books, music, and painting.

Intimate Performance and Personal Partnership

He also favors presenting dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"

Ball has made duets with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple are not usually matched on stage at their main theater, which might be healthy. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."

Regarding Instagram and Bodily Perception

On Instagram, followers can see videos from his dance films and images that highlight a athletic physique. Does he care that the engagement can be somewhat 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—an object that can be seen on multiple ways.

Ball characterizes his younger self as "eager for success." Has it lived up to his hopes? "I am conscious of how life is a different thing to the dreams you made as a young person," he reflects. He probably has about ten years of performing ahead. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."