🔗 Share this article

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 limbs muscular beneath a plain tee. During performances, ballet dancers can appear as powerful gods, yet frequently offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is part of his demand for princely roles and pas de deux work. Possessing delicate traits and intense eyes, there's a hint 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 seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered minimal ridicule for his early passion in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved straight into the troupe and was advanced each year, attaining the highest position of principal in 2018. He has relished taking on substantial characters, especially the emotional turmoil found in a famed choreographer's works.

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

His upcoming featured role is as himself, in an "In Conversation" event designed to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a performer's art. He will guide the audience through a part, demonstrating his mental workflow during execution. Yet in more comedic ballets, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he notes.

The Mental Game and Post-Performance Feelings

What about after a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the role, frequently I do feel embarrassed later. Following an intense role I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"

Offstage, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer once remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very energetic usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."

Formative Drivers and Artistic Influences

Ball's determination stemmed from youthful setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" This became motivation to prove 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.

The next challenge is creating his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the rules 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 filled with meaning, drawing ideas from books, music, and painting.

Intimate Dance and Personal Dynamic

He additionally is interested in presenting dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous show. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"

Ball has made duets with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level 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 are not usually matched on stage at their main theater, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."

Regarding Instagram and Physical Image

On social media, followers can see videos from his projects and photos that highlight a sculpted form. Does he mind that the response can be somewhat objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on various ways.

Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it lived up to his hopes? "I am conscious of how life is a separate reality to the dreams you had as a young person," he muses. He likely has about decade of performing left. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."