🔗 Share this article

Within the hushed atmosphere of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is naturally straight-backed, his arms muscular beneath a simple tee. During performances, ballet dancers can appear as mighty gods, yet frequently offstage they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is part of his demand for princely characters and partnering. Possessing delicate traits and piercing eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.

An Apparent Rise to the Pinnacle

Now 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered minimal ridicule for his childhood passion in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated straight into the company and was promoted each year, reaching the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished taking on meaty characters, particularly the emotional turmoil found in a famed choreographer's ballets.

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

His next starring appearance is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" series aiming to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a dancer's craft. He will walk the audience through a role, demonstrating his mental workflow while performance. Even in more comedic ballets, the challenge is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding technically," he notes.

The Mental Struggle and Post-Performance Feelings

What about following a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the role, quite often I do feel self-conscious later. After Mayerling I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"

In person, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer previously observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite energetic in general, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for good change."

Formative Motivations and Artistic Inspirations

His determination originated in youthful experiences. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "driven!" It was motivation to prove he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.

The next challenge is creating his own dance works. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the rules is compelling, 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 meaning, drawing ideas from books, compositions, and art.

Intimate Performance and Personal Dynamic

He additionally favors presenting dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous show. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"

Ball has made duets with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious 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 strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."

On Social Media and Physical Perception

On Instagram, followers can see videos from his projects and images that showcase a athletic 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 states. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on multiple levels.

Ball describes his younger self as "eager for success." Has it lived up to his expectations? "I am conscious of how life is a separate reality to the dreams you made as a young person," he muses. He probably has about ten years of performing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."