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Within the hushed ambiance of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His posture is effortlessly straight-backed, his limbs defined beneath a simple tee. On stage, ballet dancers can appear as powerful gods, yet frequently in person they are small. Not so Ball, whose height is one reason for his popularity for heroic roles and partnering. Possessing fine traits and intense eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.

An Apparent Rise to the Top

At 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced little ridicule for his early passion in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated directly into the troupe and was promoted annually, reaching the highest position of principal in 2018. He has loved tackling meaty characters, especially the psychological angst found in a famed choreographer's ballets.

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

Ball's upcoming featured appearance is as himself, in an "In Conversation" event designed to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a dancer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a role, showing his cognitive process during execution. Even in more comedic works, the test is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest technically," he notes.

The Mental Struggle and After the Show Feelings

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

Offstage, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker previously observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite active usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for positive change."

Formative Drivers and Creative Influences

His tenacity stemmed from early setbacks. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" 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 remembers.

An upcoming endeavor is creating his own dance works. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "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 loaded with meaning, drawing inspiration from books, compositions, and art.

Close-Up Dance and Private Partnership

He additionally favors presenting dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past experience. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re sweating.'"

Ball has made duets with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of faith 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 typically matched on stage at their main theater, which might be healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he admits. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."

On Social Media and Bodily Image

On social media, followers can see clips from his projects and images that highlight a athletic form. Does he care that the engagement can be somewhat objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on various ways.

Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it lived up to his expectations? "I feel very aware of how reality is a different reality to the dreams you had as a child," he reflects. He likely has about ten years of performing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."