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Within the hushed ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's posture is naturally upright, his arms defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can appear as powerful deities, yet frequently in person they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his demand for princely characters and pas de deux work. With fine features and intense eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.

A Seamless Rise to the Pinnacle

At 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has advanced smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered little ridicule for his early passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated straight into the troupe and was promoted annually, attaining the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on meaty characters, particularly the psychological turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.

"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."

His upcoming starring appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series aiming to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a dancer's art. He will guide the crowd through a part, showing his cognitive workflow during performance. Even in lighter works, the challenge is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding technically," he notes.

The Psychological Game and After the Show Feelings

How does he feel following a show, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the character, quite often I do feel self-conscious later. After an intense role I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"

In person, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker previously observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite active usually, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for positive change."

Formative Motivations and Creative Inspirations

Ball's determination stemmed from youthful setbacks. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" This became motivation to demonstrate he could achieve. 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 creating his own dance works. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the conventions is compelling, but just pretending that they’re not a thing any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He aims his work to be loaded with meaning, drawing inspiration from books, music, and painting.

Intimate Dance and Private Dynamic

He additionally favors presenting dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"

Ball has created duets with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They aren’t typically paired on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite supporter."

On Social Media and Physical Perception

On Instagram, followers can see videos from his projects and images that highlight a sculpted form. Does he care that the response can be somewhat objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on multiple levels.

Ball characterizes his younger self as "eager for success." Has it lived up to his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a different thing to the aspirations you had as a young person," he reflects. He probably has another decade of dancing ahead. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."