Ballet Luminary Matthew Ball on Demanding Parts and Online Attention: 'I'm Not Protective About My Body'

Within the hushed atmosphere of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is effortlessly straight-backed, his limbs muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can appear as mighty gods, yet often offstage they are petite. Not so Ball, whose height is part of his demand for heroic roles and pas de deux work. Possessing delicate traits and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.

A Seamless Rise to the Top

Now 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered little teasing for his early interest in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved straight into the company and was advanced annually, attaining the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished tackling meaty dramatic roles, especially 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 next featured role is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" series designed to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a dancer's art. He will guide the crowd through a part, demonstrating his mental process while execution. Yet in lighter works, the test is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest technically," he states.

The Mental Struggle and Post-Performance Feelings

How does he feel after a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the role, quite often I do feel self-conscious later. After Mayerling I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"

Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. But a dance maker once remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite active usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for positive change."

Early Motivations and Artistic 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. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.

An upcoming endeavor is making his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "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 ideas from literature, compositions, and painting.

Close-Up Performance and Personal Dynamic

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

Ball has made duets with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They aren’t usually matched on stage at their main theater, 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 biggest cheerleader."

Regarding Instagram and Physical Perception

On social media, fans can see videos from his dance films and photos that showcase a athletic physique. Does he mind that the response can be somewhat objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on various ways.

Ball characterizes his early self as "desperate for success." Did it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how life is a different thing to the aspirations you had as a child," he muses. He probably has about ten years of performing ahead. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."