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Within the hushed ambiance of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is naturally upright, his limbs defined beneath a simple tee. During performances, ballet dancers can appear like powerful deities, yet often in person they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is part of his popularity for heroic roles and partnering. Possessing delicate traits and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.

An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle

At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has progressed smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered little teasing for his early passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the company and was advanced annually, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished tackling substantial 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."

His next featured role is as himself, in an "In Conversation" series aiming to offer intimate insights into a performer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a role, demonstrating his mental workflow while execution. Yet in lighter ballets, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding technically," he states.

The Mental Game and Post-Performance Feelings

What about following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the role, quite often I do feel embarrassed later. Following Mayerling I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"

In person, 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 am very energetic usually, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."

Formative Drivers and Artistic Inspirations

Ball's tenacity stemmed from youthful setbacks. Not excelling in contests at school made him "driven!" This became motivation to demonstrate he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.

The next endeavor is creating his own choreography. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the rules 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 wants his work to be loaded with meaning, drawing inspiration from literature, music, and painting.

Intimate Dance and Private Dynamic

He additionally is interested in staging dance in smaller venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous show. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"

Ball has created duets with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple are not usually matched on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps healthy. "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 favorite cheerleader."

On Social Media and Bodily Image

On social media, fans can see videos from his dance films and photos that highlight a athletic form. Does he mind that the response can be a bit focused on appearance? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on various ways.

Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Did it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how life is a separate thing to the dreams you made as a young person," he muses. He likely has another ten years of performing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."