Matthew Ball - Principal (The Royal Ballet): An Interview (Part 2)

You can find the first part of this interview if you scroll down ro October 3rd, 2022.

Continuing…

„Matthew, " I ask, „You have built a beautiful repertoire – I was reading all about it and it's incredible - but is there a role or two or three that you still long to dance? I don't mean specifically a „role", it can also be a part in an abstract work... „

„Yes, for sure and I am thinking of that in terms of a specific role. Do you know John Neumeier's „Yondering"? When I was still at the School of the Royal Ballet, we performed that work and I believe it is still one of the most beautiful, pure experiences that I have ever had on stage. When I was finishing school I was also offered a position at the „Hamburger Ballett", which was my „second option", so I have always been very interested in his work and intrigued by it... and then during the pandemic, I realized that I just had an “idea” of his work but actually didn't know so much about it, so I ordered a DVD's box-set and we, my girlfriend and I, watched his „Nijinsky". Amazing. As soon as I saw it I couldn't stop thinking of how absolutely fantastic this role is. A dream. Unfortunately, we don't have really a working relationship with John and his repertoire at the Royal Ballet. But that is definitely one of my biggest dreams. To get to dance it. Apart from that, I admire very much the repertoire of „The Netherlands Dance Theatre" and I would love to perform in some of Jiří Kylián's work. But unfortunately, and that's perhaps why I am saying this, at the Royal Ballet we don't perform these works."

„So funny you mentioning Neumeier... I wrote some notes and thoughts about you. Also some roles in which I particularly would love to see you", then, showing him my notes, I began reading them: „Armand in „La Dame aux Camélias" which I think is a beautiful role, „Le Pavillon D'Armide" (what a coincidence because you have just mentioned „Nijinsky"), which is another „Variation on the same Theme Nijinsky" as so to say. Then one of my wishes would be Romeo but in Cranko's version, which you don't use at the Royal and last, a role that has nothing to do with Neumeier or Cranko but with Mr B.: „The prodigal Son"!"

Matthew, who was smiling broadly at my „choices for his career" added quickly that just before the pandemic „The prodigal" was being rehearsed at the „Royal", but he had not been cast in it and because of the Lockdowns, etc., it was not performed. Sad times.

„Would you someday change „Lensky" for „Onegin" (a role that you, among other things, could be great in, with your very unique poise)?" I venture.

„Yes, I'm hoping so, now that I have done Lensky twice. It was my first big opportunity and the second run of shows I performed already a few years back. I was pleased to be doing Lensky once more but I definitely have my heart set on dancing Onegin next time. We'll see when the casting comes out, right?"

„A wonderful role... but this word (wonderful) reminds me of the wonderful reviews you received, especially from „The Times" when you jumped in for David Hallberg, in the middle of a performance of „Giselle", when was this exactly? It is such a great story..." I say.

„ I don't exactly remember the date, I think it was 2017 but I can check on this for you" (and he did: it was exactly on March 1st, 2018, practically 4 years ago!)

„If I am not mistaken, Matthew, I think that back then it was the first time that I've heard your name – or „registered it on my mind" - while reading the Time's review. Amazing... But I must say that this is the dangerous kind of „accidental" situation that might either build an incredible career or destroy it totally!"

He pauses, remembering in detail what had happened as I can plainly see in his eyes. As if a „film" was being replayed in his mind.

Copyright: Andrej Uspenski / The Royal Opera House

„I think it was more or less the same as for many other dancers... I had made my début with Yasmine Naghdi and had had only one show as Albrecht in „Giselle" It was one opportunity to prove ourselves and then put it away for 4 years. You get the one show so that you have had your opportunity and next time you'll do more etc. David went off and, you know, a show in Covent Garden IS a show in Covent Garden and, when David Hallberg and Natalia Osipova are dancing there's an entirely different crowd of spectators, the ones who came to watch him. It was also the first performance after he had been injured for a couple of years, and then I got the call to come back. I think now that it was a kind of watershed moment for me. I had just walked in the door of my home when I got the call from Kevin O'Hare. He told me to hop in a cab and get back to the office immediately because I would have to take over the second act. I had just put down my shopping and was looking forward to putting my feet up and having a relaxing evening...” he pauses, “I had been doing quite a lot of work in the company and I was on an upward trajectory but it was quite a challenging moment. In a great way"

„Funny that you have mentioned the „one show policy". This is something I shall always criticize, as we know that it takes time to really develop and master a role like that – it took years for Baryshnikov to refine and find his „perfect" Albrecht – from the starry-eyed boy at the beginning of his career until the cynical „playboy" who was playing with everybody's hearts (Giselle's and Bathilde's at least) by the end of his dancing path... But I must ask you about something that I have found while doing some research on you. I really enjoyed watching the „If I loved you" MacMillan's pas de deux which I did not know and (to be completely frank with you) had no idea of its existence!„

„Oh yes, I danced that with my girlfriend, Mayara Magri" (Note: Miss Magri, the enchanting Royal Ballet Principal that, by coincidence is also a native of Rio de Janeiro, my Hometown) „and it is such a great piece. It was the first time we were dancing on stage with an audience after the first Lockdown. The music is so „full", and the story has a real dark side to it..."

„Do you know the original, Matthew, I mean the play upon which Carousel is based? „Lillion" by Ferenc Mólnar?"

He answers excitedly even before I could finish my phrase „Yes and the Ballet by John (Neumeier)"

„You're right! And it is so beautiful... I'll send you this book. It is filled with emotion; his death, the taking care as a spirit of his daughter, his undying love... I am not terribly fond of the American musical (the way the story is told or to be more specific: Much too schmalzy for me!) but no question that Rodgers and Hammerstein composed one of their best scores ever in „Carousel" - I still cannot get over the fact that I had no idea of this MacMillan's choreography", I have to say, laughing „which reminds me of what we were just talking about, the „abilities", remember? All of a sudden a choreography like this, not filled with „Bravura" but with emotion and I must admit that nowadays the impact on me that a choreography like this causes is much stronger than anything else in dance... and that is a quality that you have, one that is also becoming rarer every day: the capacity to tell a story. I like that. How I like that! To tell a story is not an easy thing and there is nothing better than a good story when it is well told"

„I agree but for me, I have to say that to tell a story well, it also depends on the technique. Because the choreography is one tool we have to tell a story. Technique is the other tool. And when I say technique this time, I am talking about the „strenuous" technique. Because it takes you actually out of the dancer's mind and makes you become completely the character by doing so" he says.

Now it is my time to wonder... and thinking of Cranko, MacMillan, Ashton, Béjart, Balanchine I could not agree more for this can be only related to the „perfect" choreography... the “perfect” I say.

We were coming to the end of the interview (which I'd rather describe as a very informal, extremely pleasant chat) and one question, the last point of this interview was yet to come.

„Matthew, there are still so many things we could talk about... from „La Bayadére", „Onegin" to „Two pigeons" and „The Nutcracker" bla bla bla – but I would like to talk with you today about one single role of yours that has impressed me extremely. Yes, extremely. Your „Apollo". But I think this is not a surprise to you as I had told you before that we were going to approach this subject. First of all, who coached you in „Apollo"?"

„Patricia Neary! " he says as I remember that she had just been in Vienna for „Symphony in C", strangely a work by Balanchine that does not really „touch" me.

„Just tell me anything that comes to your mind about this role... I love the fact that Mr. B „condensed" the nine muses into just three – although the „personalities" of those three are a bit distorted in the ballet. Terpsichore is more or less „OK" as the Muse of „Dance and Song" - although she was „just" the Muse of Dance which she created and which she definitely enjoyed („Terpo" in Greek refers to be amused), Polyhimia as the muse of mime (she was also the Muse of the sacred poetry, the divine Hymns, and creator of geometry and grammar) and at last, Caliope as the muse of poetry, (Erato, who was not “cast” in this ballet, was another muse of poetry. Love poetry) forgetting that SHE was the superior Muse, the muse of heroic poetry and the one who accompanied kings and princes in order to impose justice and serenity). So, you see, not only Cranko took some liberties with „Onegin", but also Mr. B had his turn to take some with the Greek-Mythology! I guess we will never find out why Balanchine „changed" this, his reasons for doing so... Although it would be so interesting to know... " I had to add, laughingly, „But back to „Apollo": how long was the whole process? Preparing for this role, getting to know it better, rehearsing, being coached, etc. and how did you feel about this role?"

„I think it was probably around six or seven weeks which is kind of a „standard" amount of time that we have to be working in a single act Ballet in a triple bill. It wasn't something I knew very well, like for example what I was talking about with some other ballets like the „Macmillans", many of which I have been watching since I have joined the Royal Ballet School at eleven... and some others even before that. I „grew up" with them, so to say. I always felt that some of them were always „dream roles". But with „Apollo", also a „dream role" for me, I felt that I knew it better from pictures, more than anything else, and this is an interesting point because I feel that the pictures, the „classic" pictures" and while saying this he firmly makes the gesture indicating „quotation marks" and making me once more aware of the fact that during this whole interview he has always been moving. Somehow always interpreting his words with gestures, „yes, the pictures of it have such a purity... and then I found out that I was going to dance the ballet, got very excited and started researching, watching different versions of it, with different people interpreting it. I was very intrigued because I felt that there were so many approaches in quite dramatic ways. Of course, you had Nureyev doing all sorts of „additions" to the choreography, Peter Martins, who as I was told, did „what he wanted with it", and we watched Jacques D'Amboise as well, who wasn't this kind of „elegant, refined, serene God" so much... not that it was just „puckish".It had lots of a god-like playfulness, like in the Greek Myth – they were not only perfect beings, they could get into trouble, especially when they came down from Olympus – This energy was very interesting, also when mixed up with the emphasis, the approach on the steps that can be occasionally very „jazzy", very modern, at times turned-in, very punctuated instead of „romantic" in other moments... These are the images that I had in my head. This was the whole idea I had built for me from seeing it... I was also extremely interested in the time it was made and the original designs. There was even a golden blond wig. A completely different approach!" and I can see in his eyes, which are shining very bright, that he is „catching" in his memory all the images he is referring to. What a beautiful moment. I like that.

Also beautiful to once more realize that Mr. B's work was DANCE in the word's most pure sense. MOTION, constant motion. Not only in what you see on stage or in the mind of the interpreters but also in the way in which he (Balanchine) always kept his work in continuous motion, changing it year after year, always perfecting it. And that is what I miss today. His work is now „frozen" (or should be, at least) and the „MOTION" caused by the passing of time ceased to exist. But that is another story...

He continues „And I think that was good for this ballet to have evolved into this white look, this „more classic Balanchine look" because it suits so much more Stranvinky's music. That moment in his career had turned, musically into something else, in the ways of putting an Orchestra together. Think of the pure String Orchestra (note: Stravinsky wrote Apollo for a homogenous ensemble of bowed strings). It is all much more fresh, light, and translucent instead of thick" and while saying this he turns both hands, which were soft and dreamy while he spoke of lightness, into two powerful fists – body language „This was otherwordly and I thought that these elements are interesting, also when added to the contrast of some quite literal moments in the storyline, you know, popping out from in between the legs of his mother or when he cries like a baby"

„And you did this beautifully. It can look, if not well done, kind of ridiculous and you did this so incredibly. I love this Birth scene but it is everything but easy" I say.

„No, it's not"

„How tall are you, Matthew? I'll just let you know why I am asking that" I add, nearly laughing.

„In centimeters, I am 182cm.! Why?" Now he is curious. I can see that.

„You are tall... I ask you this because I was very impressed actually by your pas de deux with Terpsichore. There are some very, very quick moments in which I saw many dancers (not only tall ones) mess it up completely. You didn't. Instead of that, you give such „cleanness", so much harmony in your every movement. I was really impressed! It was so pure. Beautiful!"

And, all of a sudden, I realized that time was running out - I could go on talking for hours with this pleasant, gentle, intelligent man but first I had to let our talk “be”, to assimilate it properly - like waiting for the grains to go down to the bottom of the cup while drinking a Turkish coffee - and keep wondering what this young Artiste will give us in the future... Very exciting. A beautiful contemplation to look forward to. Sometimes I wish I were a clairvoyant…

Thank you so much, Matthew, for taking your time to share all these thoughts with me. It is not only a pleasure but an honour to get all this incredible information from you, directly. And on top of that, observing the way you move while talking. As if underlining all important statements with your hands, arms, and body. Also, this is a beautiful ballet which I luckily got to see – exclusively!

Thank you very much and God bless.