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

In the hushed ambiance of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's posture is effortlessly upright, his limbs defined beneath a plain tee. On stage, ballet dancers can appear like powerful deities, yet frequently in person they are small. Not so Ball, whose height is part of his demand for heroic characters and pas de deux work. With fine features and piercing eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.

An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle

At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has advanced smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced little teasing for his early interest in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated directly into the company and was promoted each year, attaining the highest position of principal in 2018. He has loved taking on substantial dramatic roles, especially the emotional angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.

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

Ball's next featured appearance is as himself, in an "In Conversation" event aiming to offer intimate insights into a performer's craft. He will walk the audience through a role, demonstrating his mental workflow during execution. Even in lighter works, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest technically," he notes.

The Mental Struggle and Post-Performance Feelings

How does he feel following a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the role, quite often I do feel self-conscious afterwards. Following Mayerling I'm always like: God, what must people think?"

Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker once remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite active in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for positive change."

Formative Drivers and Artistic Influences

Ball's determination originated in youthful setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" This became fuel 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 making his own dance works. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the rules is compelling, but just acting 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 filled with substance, drawing ideas from books, compositions, and painting.

Close-Up Dance and Private Dynamic

He also is interested in presenting dance in smaller venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"

Ball has made duets with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They aren’t usually matched on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."

On Social Media and Bodily Image

On Instagram, followers can see videos from his dance films and photos that showcase a athletic physique. Does he mind that the response can be a bit focused on appearance? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on multiple ways.

Ball characterizes his younger self as "eager for success." Has it lived up to his hopes? "I feel very aware of how life is a separate thing to the aspirations you made as a child," he muses. He probably has about ten years of performing ahead. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."