An Evening with Matthew Ballet Review
December 14, 2025 | Susie Sainsbury Theatre, Royal College of Music – London, England
The Royal College of Music hosted an interesting one-act event involving dance, insights and questions surrounding the life and work so far of The Royal Ballet Principal Matthew Ball.
The evening was presented by Kristen McNally, Principal Character Artist of The Royal Ballet. Long-standing friends, Ball and McNally initially found an affinity, both being Liverpudlians. Their natural rapport came across on stage and the evening began with Ball performing a self-choreographed solo using a baton/stick the same height as himself and inspired choreographically from his recent time in The Royal Ballet’s La Fille Mal Gardée.
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An Evening with Matthew Ball Review
Beginning in a central square of light and then progressing outside of it, The Measure of Things showed great control and skill in spinning the stick, using it as a lever to jump across, using it rhythmically on the floor and finally, tossing it away – game over? – as the solo finished.
Ball, dressed in casual black and holding a small towel and water bottle, revealed afterwards that having discovered the stick was the same height as himself, it had sparked his imagination:
“Measuring myself against me, against the world.”
He comes across in dialogue as grounded but unquestionably dedicated. Tending to look down when speaking, he looked a little uncomfortable sitting on a chair and much more at ease when in movement.
He and McNally shared childhood and student photographs of Ball’s training years and then choreographer Kim Brandstrup joined their discussion onstage. This section felt a little stilted with prepared questions leading to Brandstrup and Ball complimenting each other’s work.
Ball’s walk-through of Albrecht’s solo at Giselle’s grave in the ballet Giselle was very well-received. He layered the meaning of Albrecht’s long heavy cloak with the weight of guilt on his shoulders at having caused Giselle’s death, and revealed how Albrecht in searching for her grave, feels it first with his back, rather than seeing it visually.
Ball then performed the solo for an appreciative audience. This section could have delved even deeper or the format been applied to other choreographies as well.
Auditorium lights were lifted next for open questions from the audience which ranged from queries about his first mainstage ballet, to whether he felt AI had a place in choreography.
“Personally I wouldn’t seek it,” said Ball. “I’m sure it’s possible, but dance and choreography – the medium is the human body, and that can’t change. Our imperfections are the most interesting things about us.”
His comments were received with supportive applause.
It was insightful to hear the depth of his classical music knowledge, and to hear a little about his involvement in the creation of The Winter’s Tale, by Christopher Wheeldon. And when asked if he would have changed anything about his ballet journey so far, Ball explained how lucky he felt that he has been a part of the Royal Ballet system since childhood.
“There’s some part of me that’s aware that my colleagues have had different experiences. The Royal Ballet is an amazing place, but there’s also a massive amount to be learned outside of that and I sometimes wish I’d had a bit more of an adventurous journey.”
A video message from Kevin O’Hare, Artistic Director of The Royal Ballet, was poignant as he recalled Ball as a student at White Lodge and commended him on his career as part of the company so far.
Waveform, a trio Ball had choreographed on himself with Royal Ballet soloists Mariko Sasaki and Luca Acri, drew the evening to a close. Ball introduced us to the short work sharing his mood board of music and sound waves and creative ideas in the lead up to creation during the Coronavirus 2020 lockdown.
A visually unusual grouping, they moved unified as a group in different duet combinations and a solo, and separately at times as well. The music is calm, mysterious even. And of course, great depth was added with the live music on violin, cello and piano. There were serious overtones contrasting with more playful elements lifting the piece when keeping with the folk sections of the music.
It’s clear that Matthew Ball is a highly focused artist with a sharp eye on the future and how that might develop for him in various avenues within the industry. It is easy to envisage how tonight’s programme could potentially pave the way for similar events with different artists, reflecting society’s deep interest in individual’s lives – beneath and beyond the mystery of the stage.
Featured Photo for An Evening with Matthew Ballet by Viktor Erik Emanuel, courtesy of Fundamentally Dance.
