Matthew Ball In Conversation with Deborah Weiss
October 9th, 2024
Susan Dalgetty-Ezra, chair of the London Ballet Circle, welcomed Matthew Ball to the evening’s In Conversation, held in person at the Royal Ballet School as well as on Zoom. Born in Liverpool, he started dancing at the age of six and went on to train at the Royal Ballet School. Joining the company for the 2013-14 season, he rose rapidly through the ranks, being promoted to Principal dancer in 2018. Susan also welcomed the well-known dance writer Deborah Weiss, who would lead the conversation.
Deborah commenced the conversation by reiterating Matthew’s rise to fame within the Royal Ballet (RB) – promotion every year was no small achievement. He had already collected a number of prizes while progressing through the School, including the Lynn Seymour Award for Expressive Dance, the Gailene Stock Award for exceptional progress, and the Kenneth MacMillan Choreographic Award.
There was, however, one evening in March 2018 which had provided a seminal moment in his career. Giselle was in performance on stage, with star performers Natalia Osipova and David Hallberg – the latter making a comeback in the leading role of Albrecht. Matthew, at home, received a call from Kevin O’Hare during the evening saying that David had sustained an injury and would not be able to continue with the role. You’d like me to be there just in case someone needs to step in, Matthew asked, to be told ‘No, right now, for the second act….’ So, although he’d already had quite a heavy day in the gym, he quickly called a cab and rushed to the theatre to play Albrecht on stage for the first time.
The second act of Giselle is by nature quite ethereal and ‘other worldly’ and Matthew said that the rest of the evening went off in something of a blur. At the final curtain he was pushed forward by Natalia and had been gratified by the very generous audience reaction. The injured David Hallberg had also been most gracious about his performance as Albrecht. Matthew reckons that when you have to suddenly pick up a role like that everyone is on your side anyway.
What had it been like dancing with Natalia for the first time? Slightly terrifying? She is a passionate dancer, with tremendous energy and an incredible presence on stage, and Matthew knew that although he may not be in the same league a heavy responsibility had been placed on him. Nevertheless, he loved dancing with her, feeling that her superb artistry contributed so much to the magic of whatever role she might be cast in.
Wasn’t it also that same year that you took time out of the company to dance with New Adventures in Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake? Bourne’s very successful production had broken new ground by casting the swans as fierce creatures, played by male dancers. The concept had proved popular and although first seen some thirty years ago it continues to be restaged. Appearing in that show had been something of a dream of mine, said Matthew, having first seen the show when young. The atmosphere within the cast was amazing, working with so many young men who had achieved their childhood dreams – inspired by the Billy Elliot story.
He had danced maybe 40 or 50 shows, touring all over the country, including dancing in his home city of Liverpool for the first time as a professional, and also as far afield as New York and Tokyo. How do you keep your performance fresh over that number of shows, he was later asked. Matthew admitted that he had various games that he played with himself, but the actual process of producing a show ensures to a large extent that the dancer has to keep revisiting his interpretation. And as with the rest of life, although you may try, not every show will be the best or the most enjoyable!
Matthew had taken time out from the RB with Kevin O’Hare’s permission, and had thoroughly enjoyed the experience, although he had been a little concerned that being away from the company might stall his progress somewhat. Fortunately that was not the case because it was in that same year that he was promoted to Principal dancer.
Deborah then went on to ask about Mayerling and the role of Crown Prince Rudolph. This was another role which Matthew had initially taken on due to injury and the consequent shift round of casts. He was already performing in the ballet as Lead Officer and so the show was not new to him. He had, however, only just returned to the company after touring to Plymouth with New Adventures, with a mere two weeks to pull it all together, rehearsing every day with frequent reference to videos of the piece. The show also involves the partnering of five different ballerinas. Matthew, however, considers himself to be quite a capable partner and so this aspect of the role did not particularly faze him.
The Crown Prince is vulnerable and dangerous, very dark; an ‘infamous’ character, said Matthew. The ballet involves journeys into different and complex relationships, with Rudolph gradually becoming ever more mentally deranged. It was a tremendously rewarding role to get your teeth into, just the type of character Matthew aspired to play, and his eyes had been on the role for some time. He contrasted it to Romeo; an equally fulfilling part to play, with enormous emotional content, but much lighter in concept and not the leviathan which was Rudolph.
The show was emotionally draining, such that at the end of the evening Matthew sometimes felt he would simply like to sit in a darkened room to ‘unwind’ – which could prove problematic if people wanted to talk to him immediately after the show. Rudolph was a fantastic part and was probably the role he would most like to reprise; there was still so much he could explore in the character.
Later in the conversation Matthew went on to talk about yet another occasion when he had to step in to cover for injury. Ryoichi Hirano had been dancing in MacMillan’s Requiem (to Fauré’s music) when he had a sudden problem with his ankle and had limped off stage with the last movement still to be performed. Matthew had to dance this last movement, which included a beautiful but very difficult lift in which Sarah Lamb stood on Ryoichi’s shoulder. We can’t do that without practise, thought Matthew and they agreed to perform a simpler torch lift – still difficult to get right on stage without any previous rehearsal. It ‘kinda worked’ said Matthew……
And what about Ashton’s works? Matthew spoke appreciatively of A Month in the Country, a ballet based on the Turgenev play, describing it as a jewel, a very intimate piece, almost a ‘chamber’ ballet. The set feels rather closed in and somehow you are less aware that there is a huge audience out there watching you. Beliaev is trying to be a good person but gets a bit carried away with the situation – everyone seems to want a piece of him. The plot involves the exploration of relationship, a storyline which has always attracted Matthew. And Chopin’s music is, in his opinion, exactly right for the piece.
Matthew did, however, express one reservation about the ballet, or rather, the set in which it is staged. The action takes place in a drawing room which traditionally is carpeted. He thought this was related to the fact that originally the designer wanted to print a pattern on the floor, not at the time possible with the usual lino or vinyl surface. Carpet, however, can be slippery to dance on – so rosin is used which results in sticky patches which have to be avoided……or the carpet itself starts to move over the stage floor…..
He cited another great Ashton ballet, Marguerite and Armand, a piece which takes its inspiration from La Dame aux Camélias by Dumas, set to music by Liszt which ‘pumps away’ in the background. Quite different from A Month in the Country. Rudolph Nureyev had originated the role of Armand and Matthew felt that the part had been fashioned around his ‘animal energy’, and that he had in some way to channel Nureyev’s character to play the role. There was no indecision or lack of doubt in this character! Great fun to play!
How much is your interpretation of a role influenced by your partner, asked Deborah. Matthew agreed that developing the chemistry, finding the right connection, with your partner was essential. He had danced inMonth with Marianela Núñez and Armand with Lauren Cuthbertson, different but wonderful dancers.
They then went on to discuss roles which had been created on Matthew, and how different that situation might be from one in which he was taking on a role which may have been danced in the past by any number of his predecessors. He responded that with most ballets you work in the studio, replicating in your own way what has gone before but that once you get on to the stage, in front of an audience, it may all change, becoming, hopefully, a great individual performance – or sometimes it may not….
It was, however, always a privilege to have a work created on you – the realisation that a choreographer has seen something in your dancing to inspire their work. Matthew considers himself very fortunate to have had terrific roles created on him during his career. He cited, for instance, Like Water for Chocolate and The Cellist.
In The Cellist he had to play an individual who was still very much alive, the conductor Daniel Barenboim, not the usual situation for characters in ballet. He was, said Matthew, an incredible man; he had watched many videos of Barenboim in action, in front of orchestras and taking masterclasses, in order to get a feeling for the way in which the role should be approached. Quite intimidating in a way, Barenboim being such a significant figure in his field.
Relating the life of the young cellist Jacqueline du Pré and the desperately sad early onset of her illness was, with Cathy Marston’s choreography, completely compelling. A meaty story, with some very intricate partnering, it had been quite difficult to learn and the lead dancers, Lauren Cuthbertson and Marcelino Sambé, with Matthew himself, had to dig deep to ensure it was right. And the fact that the Opera House orchestra had to commence playing the Elgar Cello Concerto with a downbeat from Matthew had been a great thrill!
Later this season Matthew was looking forward to Wayne McGregor’s Maddaddam, a ballet based on a trilogy of novels by the author Margaret Atwood. The RB itself had a close relationship with McGregor as one of their regular choreographers, but this major work was being co-produced with the National Ballet of Canada, with a score commissioned from Max Richter.
Dystopian in nature, the plot explores themes of extinction and genetic engineering, ‘with a best friend who turns out to be an evil genius’. Apparently the author considers the novels to be ‘speculative’ rather than ‘science’ fiction – not far into the future, but involving themes, like the pandemic, which are already on the scene. As was usual with McGregor’s choreography, the piece allowed the dancers licence to develop their roles. Matthew himself tries to be always open to new ideas; there were only so many possibilities of movement by the human body but within those constraints new themes could be explored.
At the moment he was playing the Knave of Hearts in Alice, a show which offered the audience an incredible and enjoyable spectacle. Inevitably pantomime like in nature, the atmosphere was great and the audience reaction tremendous. He appreciated hearing the laughter – the Opera House is usually occupied with very serious art, and he rather liked this occasional lightening of the mood. He had first seen Alice in his graduation year at the school, when being a part of the RB was still a dream, and it was great to go full circle and now be a part of the show.
It was also good that he was once again able to partner Akane Takada, who had been suffering injury but had last week been able to return to her role. Such occasions were significant to the dancer!
Matthew was also looking forward to playing Onegin later in this season. This ballet, based on the original work by Alexander Pushkin, had been choreographed by John Cranko into a very dramatic narrative piece. This was another ballet in which the pas de deux would be difficult; however, he would be partnered with Yasmine Yagdhi with whom he was delighted to be working again. She had been his partner when the RB had previously mounted Onegin, in which he had danced the role of Lensky.
And how about doing more choreography yourself? Matthew replied that he had done a little while he was still at school, and did feel that he was by nature a creative individual. He had, however, felt it was essential to focus completely on his career; to ensure that his dancing was as perfect as he could make it. Nevertheless, he had over time collected together a few ideas and began to think about these more actively during the pandemic. He had worked with several choreographers over the years he had been dancing; that experience would certainly be valuable.
The period of lockdown forced him – as no doubt it did for many others – to take stock of life. Matthew accepted that although he had a rewarding lifestyle as a Principal dancer, having completely fulfilled his early ambition, he was now thinking more objectively about the possibilities of choreography.
To become a musician, said Matthew, one could study any number of courses with well-defined syllabuses. With choreography, however, there was really no accepted route to becoming proficient in the craft. The way to progress was rather more vague. He felt there was so much to think about and one could become obsessed with the language of dance. He was rather more interested in promoting the dramatic element of a role and would like to develop his own vocabulary. He hadn’t produced much yet, for instance, there had been a trio for Mayara Magri, Luca Acri and himself, and a number of duet pieces.
It is sometimes assumed that a choreographer has to set a piece on another dancer; that to set it on yourself is somehow cheating. However, Paul Lightfoot, choreographer with Nederlands Dans Theater, and a man for whom Matthew has a great deal of respect, had suggested to him that the beginning of choreography involved seeing dance through your own personal experience. And, said Matthew, that seems a correct approach because he knew exactly of his own expectations and limitations.
His first major piece had been Acts of Exaltation, danced to music by Monteverdi, for the New English Ballet Theatre. It had already been staged at the Linbury Theatre and the Royal Academy of Dance. Set to a theme broadly defined as ‘religiosity’ the piece involves seven dancers in complex patterns of bodies, arms and hands. Matthew admitted that he could have made a relatively simple piece in which the girls wore flowing dresses and the boys performed double tours. However, while certainly not decrying such choreography he wanted to try something a little different.
Although his career as a dancer may have been spectacular and he had certainly fulfilled his ambition, Matthew retained the dream of focussing on choreography. Not jetting around the world, working with one company and then another – at least that certainly was not any immediate intention. Rather he would like to carve out a space for works on a smaller scale; much more intimate works. As a choreographer his idea was to take a theme and develop it as a rounded theatrical entity. He was wary of thinking that he wanted to be seen as the next big choreographer on the ballet scene!
He loved music and believed the style to be important, expressing a like for what he described as ‘harmonious’ music. Such music contributed to the flow of the dance. Although some more abstract compositions achieve popularity, in Matthew’s view they do not always contribute to attractive dance movements.
In response to an audience question Matthew then spoke about his introduction to dance. At about the age of six he was already swimming and playing basketball when his mother introduced him to ballet as yet another out of school activity. However, it was probably only when he saw what was possible, for instance by watching New Adventures, that his interest really took off, and by the age of nine or ten he had become somewhat obsessive about dancing.
Exposure to Shakespeare and other significant plays in his youth had undoubtedly implanted in him the importance of ensuring the dramatic aspect of a role was properly considered and developed. As to where this approach may have come from, he explained that although his mother was a teacher of dance, his father had been heavily involved in drama and the value of acting had been part of the family ethos from a young age.
He reiterated the influence of his father when speaking about The Winter’s Tale. Watching Shakespeare in his youth had given him an appreciation of the playwright and the vital importance of acting as well as dancing in portraying his characters, and personally he felt the text to be compelling. Christopher Wheeldon, the choreographer, had done a terrific job in depicting jealousy and the other strong emotions inherent in the play.
In any role the dance steps will take you so far, but to present the whole image of a piece properly demands so much more. The development of acting skills were encouraged from the start of a dancer’s career in the corps, because everyone on stage has a part to play, be it simply serving drinks. They were indeed skills in which the RB excelled – and which could be particularly important when productions were being filmed, with individuals often shown in close-up.
Would he like to play any new roles? Onegin, of course. Matthew then expressed great interest in the works of choreographers such as Jiří Kylián and John Neumeier. He also spoke about Yuri Possokhov’s new version of Swan Lake staged in Hong Kong in which the inner psychology of Siegfried had been explored in considerably more depth than usual. He had thrived on the experience, his first guest appearance with another big classical company, regretting only that it had been so constrained for time.
In concluding the evening, Susan, chair of the London Ballet Circle, thanked Matthew most sincerely for giving the Circle his time. He had shown himself to be a fascinating and intelligent individual as well as being a wonderful dancer. She was also most grateful to Deborah who had posed just the right questions, leading to an evening which had been both interesting and entertaining.
Written by Trevor Rothwell, approved by Matthew Ball and Deborah Weiss
Copyright London Ballet Circle 2024
