Dance Star Matthew Ball on Grueling Roles and Social Media Scrutiny: 'I Don't Feel 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 carriage is effortlessly upright, his limbs muscular beneath a plain tee. During performances, ballet dancers can seem as powerful deities, yet often in person they are small. Not so Ball, whose height is part of his demand for princely roles and partnering. With fine features and intense eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.

An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle

Now 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has progressed smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered minimal teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved straight into the company and was advanced each year, attaining the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on meaty dramatic roles, particularly the psychological turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.

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

His upcoming starring appearance is as himself, in an "In Conversation" series designed to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a dancer's craft. He will guide the audience through a part, demonstrating his cognitive workflow while performance. Yet in lighter ballets, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he notes.

The Psychological Game and After the Show Feelings

What about following a performance, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get lost in the character, frequently I do feel self-conscious later. After Mayerling I'm always like: God, what must people think?"

In person, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker previously observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite energetic usually, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for positive change."

Formative Motivations and Artistic Inspirations

His determination stemmed from youthful experiences. Not doing well in contests at school made him "driven!" It was motivation to prove he could succeed. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.

The next challenge is creating his own choreography. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the conventions is interesting, but just pretending that they’re not a reality any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He wants his work to be loaded with meaning, drawing ideas from literature, compositions, and painting.

Close-Up Performance and Private Partnership

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

Ball has created duets with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They are not typically matched on stage at their main theater, which might be 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 biggest cheerleader."

Regarding Instagram and Physical Image

On social media, followers can see videos from his projects and photos that highlight a athletic physique. Does he mind that the response can be a bit objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on multiple ways.

Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Did it lived up to his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a separate reality to the aspirations you had as a child," he muses. He likely has about ten years of dancing ahead. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."