Ballet Luminary Matthew Ball on Demanding Parts and Online Scrutiny: 'I Don't Feel Protective About My Body'

In the quiet atmosphere of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is naturally straight-backed, his limbs defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, ballet dancers can seem as mighty gods, yet frequently in person they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose height is part of his demand for heroic characters and pas de deux work. With fine traits and piercing eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.

A Seamless Rise to the Top

At 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced minimal ridicule for his childhood interest in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved straight into the troupe and was promoted each year, reaching the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished taking on meaty characters, especially the emotional turmoil found in a famed choreographer's ballets.

"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."

Ball's upcoming starring role is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series aiming to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a dancer's art. He will guide the audience through a role, demonstrating his cognitive process during performance. Even in more comedic ballets, the test is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding technically," he notes.

The Mental Game and After the Show Emotions

What about after a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the character, frequently I do feel self-conscious later. After an intense role I'm always like: God, what must people think?"

Offstage, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. But a choreographer once observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite active in general, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for positive change."

Formative Drivers and Artistic Inspirations

Ball's determination originated in early experiences. Not excelling in contests at school made him "vengeful!" This became motivation to demonstrate he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.

An upcoming challenge is creating his own dance works. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the conventions is compelling, but just acting that they’re not a reality 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 art.

Intimate Performance and Personal Dynamic

He also favors staging dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past show. "You’re so near to the viewers. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"

Ball has made pieces with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of faith between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple are not usually paired on stage at their home company, which is perhaps beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite supporter."

Regarding Instagram and Physical Image

On Instagram, fans can see videos from his dance films and photos that highlight a sculpted form. Does he care that the response can be somewhat focused on appearance? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on multiple ways.

Ball describes his early self as "eager for success." Has it lived up to his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a different thing to the aspirations you made as a child," he muses. He likely has another decade of dancing ahead. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."