In the quiet ambiance of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is naturally straight-backed, his arms defined beneath a simple tee. On stage, ballet dancers can seem like powerful gods, yet frequently in person they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his demand for heroic roles and pas de deux work. Possessing delicate features and intense eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.
An Apparent Rise to the Pinnacle
At 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered little teasing for his early passion in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated directly into the troupe and was advanced each year, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved tackling substantial characters, particularly the emotional turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
His next featured appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" event designed to offer intimate insights into a dancer's art. He will guide the crowd through a part, demonstrating his mental process while execution. Even in more comedic works, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.
The Mental Struggle and Post-Performance Feelings
What about following a show, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the character, quite often I do feel self-conscious afterwards. After an intense role I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer once remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very active in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for good change."
Early Motivations and Artistic Inspirations
Ball's determination stemmed from youthful experiences. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "driven!" This became motivation to prove he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.
The next endeavor is creating his own choreography. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the conventions 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 wants his work to be loaded with meaning, drawing ideas from literature, compositions, and art.
Intimate Performance and Private Dynamic
He also is interested in presenting dance in more intimate 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 human, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has created duets with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t usually matched on stage at their home company, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."
Regarding Instagram and Bodily Image
On social media, fans can see videos from his projects and images that highlight a athletic form. Does he care that the response can be somewhat objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on multiple levels.
Ball describes his early self as "desperate for success." Has it lived up to his hopes? "I feel very aware of how life is a separate thing to the dreams you had as a young person," he muses. He probably has another ten years of performing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
