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Within the quiet atmosphere of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is naturally upright, his limbs muscular beneath a plain tee. During performances, dancers can seem as mighty gods, yet frequently offstage they are petite. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is part of his popularity for princely characters and partnering. With delicate features and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.

A Seamless Rise to the Pinnacle

At 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has progressed smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced little ridicule for his early passion in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated straight into the company and was advanced annually, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished taking on substantial dramatic roles, particularly the psychological turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.

"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."

His next featured role is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event aiming to offer intimate insights into a performer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a role, demonstrating his cognitive workflow during execution. Even in lighter works, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he notes.

The Mental Game and After the Show Emotions

What about following a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the role, quite often I do feel embarrassed later. After an intense role I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"

Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker previously observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very energetic in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for good change."

Formative Motivations and Creative Inspirations

Ball's determination stemmed from early setbacks. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" This became fuel to prove 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.

The next challenge is making his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the conventions 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 filled with meaning, drawing inspiration from books, music, and painting.

Intimate Dance and Private Dynamic

He additionally is interested in staging dance in more intimate spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous show. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"

Ball has created pieces with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They aren’t typically 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 notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."

Regarding Instagram and Physical Image

On Instagram, followers can see videos from his dance films and images that highlight a sculpted form. Does he mind that the engagement can be a bit focused on appearance? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he explains. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on multiple ways.

Ball describes his younger self as "eager for success." Has it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how life is a different thing to the aspirations you had as a young person," he reflects. He likely has about ten years of dancing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."