Within the hushed atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is effortlessly straight-backed, his arms defined beneath a plain tee. On stage, dancers can seem like powerful gods, yet often offstage they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his popularity for princely characters and partnering. With delicate traits and piercing eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.
An Apparent Rise to the Top
Now 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has progressed smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered minimal ridicule for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated directly into the troupe and was promoted annually, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished tackling substantial characters, especially the emotional turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.
"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."
His next starring role is as himself, in an "In Conversation" event designed to offer intimate perspectives into a performer's craft. He will guide the audience through a role, showing his mental process while performance. Yet in more comedic ballets, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest technically," he states.
The Psychological Game and Post-Performance Feelings
What about following a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the character, frequently I do feel self-conscious later. Following an intense role I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker previously observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite energetic usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."
Early Motivations and Creative Influences
His tenacity stemmed from early experiences. Not doing well in contests at school made him "vengeful!" It was fuel to demonstrate he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.
An upcoming challenge is making his own choreography. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the conventions is compelling, but just acting 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 substance, drawing ideas from books, music, and painting.
Close-Up Dance and Personal Partnership
He additionally is interested in presenting dance in smaller venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous show. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made duets with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of faith between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They aren’t usually matched on stage at their home company, which is perhaps beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he admits. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."
Regarding Instagram and Physical Image
On social media, followers can see videos from his dance films and photos that highlight a athletic physique. Does he care that the response can be somewhat focused on appearance? 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—something that can be interpreted on various ways.
Ball describes his early self as "eager for success." Has it lived up to his hopes? "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 about ten years of dancing ahead. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
