🔗 Share this article

In the quiet ambiance of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's posture is naturally upright, his limbs muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, ballet dancers can seem like mighty deities, yet often offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is part of his popularity for heroic characters and pas de deux work. With delicate features and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.

A Seamless Rise to the Pinnacle

At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has progressed smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced minimal ridicule for his childhood interest in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved directly into the troupe and was promoted annually, reaching the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished taking on substantial characters, particularly the psychological angst found in Kenneth MacMillan'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 "In Conversation" series designed to offer intimate insights into a dancer's art. He will guide the audience through a part, demonstrating his mental process during performance. Yet in lighter ballets, the test is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he states.

The Mental Game and Post-Performance Emotions

How does he feel following a show, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get lost in the character, frequently I do feel embarrassed afterwards. Following an intense role I'm always like: God, what must people think?"

Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer previously remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite active usually, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for good change."

Formative Motivations and Artistic Influences

Ball's tenacity originated in youthful experiences. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "driven!" It was motivation to prove he could succeed. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.

The next endeavor is making his own dance works. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "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, compositions, and painting.

Close-Up Dance and Private Dynamic

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

Ball has created pieces with his partner, 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 daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t typically matched 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. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."

On Social Media and Physical Image

On social media, fans can see clips from his projects and photos that highlight a athletic physique. Does he mind that the engagement can be a bit focused on appearance? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he explains. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on multiple levels.

Ball describes his younger self as "eager for success." Did it met his hopes? "I feel very aware of how reality is a different thing to the aspirations you made as a child," he muses. He probably has another ten years of performing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."