Ballet Star Matthew Ball on Grueling Roles and Online Attention: 'I'm Not Protective About My Body'

In the hushed atmosphere of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is effortlessly upright, his limbs defined beneath a plain tee. During performances, ballet dancers can seem like powerful gods, yet often in person they are petite. Not so Ball, whose height is part of his demand for heroic characters and partnering. With fine features and intense eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.

An Apparent Rise to the Pinnacle

At 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has advanced smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced little ridicule for his early passion in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated straight into the troupe and was advanced each year, reaching the top rank of principal in 2018. He has relished tackling meaty dramatic roles, particularly the emotional angst found in a famed choreographer's works.

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

His next starring appearance is as himself, in an "Evening With" series aiming to offer intimate perspectives into a dancer's art. He will walk the crowd through a role, showing his cognitive workflow 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 After the Show Emotions

What about following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get lost in the character, quite often I do feel embarrassed afterwards. After Mayerling I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"

In person, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. But a choreographer previously observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very active in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for good change."

Formative Drivers and Creative Influences

His determination stemmed from early setbacks. Not excelling 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 obsessive," he recalls.

The next endeavor is creating his own choreography. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the rules is compelling, but just pretending 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 substance, drawing inspiration from books, music, and painting.

Close-Up Performance and Private Dynamic

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

Ball has made pieces with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple are not usually paired on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he admits. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."

On Social Media and Physical Image

On Instagram, fans can see clips from his dance films and images that highlight a athletic physique. Does he mind that the engagement 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 states. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on various levels.

Ball describes his early self as "eager for success." Has it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how life is a different reality to the dreams you made as a child," he reflects. He likely has about ten years of performing ahead. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."