Ballet Luminary Matthew Ball on Grueling Parts and Social Media Attention: 'I Don't Feel Precious About My Body'

In the quiet ambiance of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His posture is effortlessly upright, his limbs defined beneath a plain tee. During performances, dancers can seem as mighty deities, yet frequently in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is part of his popularity for heroic characters and pas de deux work. Possessing fine traits and piercing eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.

A Seamless Ascent to the Top

Now 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced little teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved directly into the company and was promoted annually, reaching the highest position of principal in 2018. He has relished tackling substantial dramatic roles, particularly the psychological turmoil found in a famed choreographer's ballets.

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

Ball's upcoming starring role is in a talk, in an "Evening With" event designed to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a dancer's art. He will guide the crowd through a role, showing his cognitive workflow during execution. Even in more comedic works, the test is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he notes.

The Psychological Struggle and After the Show Feelings

How does he feel after a show, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the character, quite often I do feel embarrassed afterwards. Following Mayerling I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"

Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker once remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite energetic in general, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for good change."

Early Drivers and Creative Inspirations

His determination stemmed from youthful experiences. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "driven!" It was fuel to demonstrate he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.

An upcoming challenge is creating his own choreography. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the rules is interesting, but just pretending 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 substance, drawing inspiration from literature, compositions, and painting.

Intimate Dance and Personal Dynamic

He additionally favors staging dance in more intimate spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past experience. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"

Ball has made duets with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They aren’t typically paired 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."

Regarding Instagram and Physical Perception

On Instagram, followers can see videos from his dance films and photos that highlight a athletic form. Does he mind that the engagement can be a bit objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on various levels.

Ball describes his early self as "desperate for success." Has it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a separate reality to the dreams you made as a child," he muses. He probably has about decade of performing ahead. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."