🔗 Share this article

Within the hushed ambiance of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's posture is naturally straight-backed, his arms defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, dancers can appear like powerful gods, yet often in person they are petite. Not so Ball, whose height is one reason for his popularity for princely characters and partnering. With delicate traits and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.

A Seamless Rise to the Pinnacle

Now 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has progressed smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced little ridicule for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved straight into the company and was promoted each year, attaining the top rank of principal in 2018. He has relished tackling meaty characters, especially the emotional angst found in a famed choreographer's works.

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

Ball's next featured appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series designed to offer intimate perspectives into a performer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a part, demonstrating his mental process while execution. Even in more comedic works, the test is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he notes.

The Mental Game and Post-Performance Emotions

What about following a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the role, frequently I do feel embarrassed afterwards. After Mayerling I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"

In person, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. But a dance maker once remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very energetic usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for good change."

Formative Motivations and Artistic Influences

Ball's determination stemmed from early experiences. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "driven!" 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 fanatical," he recalls.

An upcoming challenge is making his own choreography. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the rules is interesting, 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 substance, drawing ideas from literature, music, and painting.

Close-Up Dance and Private Partnership

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

Ball has created duets with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They are not usually matched on stage at their home company, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he admits. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite supporter."

On Social Media and Bodily Perception

On social media, fans can see clips from his projects and photos that highlight a athletic physique. Does he care 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 compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on various levels.

Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Did it met his expectations? "I feel very aware of how reality is a separate thing to the dreams you made as a young person," he reflects. He likely has another decade of performing left. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."