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 plain white T-shirt. During performances, dancers can seem as powerful gods, yet often offstage they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is part of his demand for princely roles and pas de deux work. With delicate traits and intense eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.
An Apparent Rise to the Top
At 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced little ridicule for his early passion in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated straight into the troupe and was promoted each year, reaching the top rank of principal in 2018. He has relished tackling substantial characters, particularly the emotional angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
Ball's next featured role is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series designed to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a performer's art. He will guide the audience through a role, demonstrating his cognitive workflow during execution. Yet in lighter works, the challenge is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding technically," he states.
The Psychological Game and After the Show Emotions
What about following a show, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the character, quite often I do feel self-conscious afterwards. Following Mayerling I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. But a choreographer previously remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite energetic in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for positive change."
Formative Drivers and Creative Inspirations
His tenacity stemmed from youthful experiences. Not doing well in contests at school made him "vengeful!" This became fuel to demonstrate he could succeed. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.
An upcoming endeavor is creating his own choreography. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the conventions is interesting, but just acting 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 substance, drawing ideas from literature, music, and painting.
Close-Up Dance and Personal Dynamic
He also favors presenting dance in more intimate spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past experience. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"
Ball has made duets with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They are not typically paired on stage at their main theater, which might be healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."
On Social Media and Physical Image
On Instagram, fans can see clips from his dance films and images that highlight a athletic form. Does he mind that the response can be somewhat focused on appearance? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on multiple ways.
Ball describes his early self as "desperate for success." Did it lived up to his hopes? "I feel very aware of how reality is a separate thing to the aspirations you had as a young person," he muses. He likely has about ten years of dancing ahead. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."
