Dance Star Matthew Ball on Grueling Roles and Online Scrutiny: 'I'm Not Precious About My Body'

In the hushed atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's posture is effortlessly straight-backed, his limbs muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. During performances, dancers can seem like mighty deities, yet often in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his popularity for heroic roles and pas de deux work. Possessing delicate features and intense eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.

A Seamless Ascent to the Pinnacle

At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has progressed smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal ridicule for his early passion in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated straight into the company and was promoted each year, attaining the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished tackling substantial dramatic roles, particularly the emotional angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.

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

His next starring role is as himself, in an "In Conversation" series designed to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a performer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a role, showing his mental workflow while performance. Yet in lighter ballets, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding technically," he states.

The Psychological Struggle and Post-Performance Feelings

How does he feel following a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get lost in the role, quite often I do feel embarrassed later. Following an intense role I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"

Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer previously remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very active usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for good change."

Early Drivers and Creative Inspirations

Ball's tenacity stemmed from youthful setbacks. Not doing well in contests at school made him "driven!" It was 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 creating his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the rules is interesting, but just acting that they’re not a thing any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He wants his work to be loaded with substance, drawing inspiration from literature, compositions, and art.

Close-Up Dance and Personal Partnership

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

Ball has created 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 audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple are not typically matched on stage at their home company, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."

On Social Media and Bodily Image

On Instagram, fans can see clips from his projects and photos that showcase a athletic form. Does he care that the response 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 explains. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen 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 different reality to the aspirations you had as a child," he muses. He likely has another ten years of performing left. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."