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Within the quiet atmosphere of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His posture is effortlessly straight-backed, his limbs muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can appear as powerful gods, yet frequently offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose height is one reason for his demand for princely characters and pas de deux work. Possessing delicate traits and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.

A Seamless Ascent to the Pinnacle

Now 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has progressed smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated directly into the troupe and was promoted each year, reaching the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved tackling meaty dramatic roles, particularly the emotional turmoil found in a famed choreographer's works.

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

Ball's next featured appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" event aiming to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a dancer's craft. He will walk the audience through a part, showing his cognitive workflow while performance. Even in lighter ballets, the test is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.

The Psychological Game and Post-Performance Emotions

What about after a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the character, frequently I do feel self-conscious afterwards. After an intense role I'm always like: God, what must people think?"

In person, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker once observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite energetic in general, 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 good change."

Early Drivers and Artistic Inspirations

Ball's tenacity stemmed from early experiences. Not excelling in contests at school made him "driven!" This became fuel to demonstrate he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.

An upcoming challenge is creating his own dance works. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the rules is interesting, but just acting 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 substance, drawing ideas from books, music, and art.

Intimate Performance and Private Partnership

He additionally favors staging dance in smaller venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past 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 made pieces with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple are not usually matched on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps beneficial. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he admits. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."

Regarding Instagram and Physical Image

On Instagram, followers can see videos from his projects and photos that showcase a athletic physique. Does he mind that the response can be a bit objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on various levels.

Ball characterizes his younger self as "eager for success." Did it lived up to his hopes? "I feel very aware of how reality is a separate thing to the dreams you had as a young person," he reflects. He likely has about ten years of performing left. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."