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In the quiet ambiance of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His posture is naturally straight-backed, his arms defined beneath a simple white T-shirt. On stage, ballet dancers can seem as mighty deities, yet often in person they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his popularity for princely roles and partnering. Possessing delicate traits and piercing eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.

An Apparent Rise to the Top

At 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has progressed smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered little ridicule for his early interest in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated straight into the company and was promoted each year, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved tackling meaty dramatic roles, particularly the emotional turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.

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

His next starring role is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series aiming to offer intimate insights into a performer's craft. He will guide the audience through a role, demonstrating his mental process while performance. Even in more comedic works, the test is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest technically," he states.

The Mental Game and After the Show Feelings

How does he feel following a show, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get lost in the character, frequently I do feel self-conscious later. Following Mayerling I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"

In person, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. But a choreographer once remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very active in general, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."

Early Motivations and Artistic Inspirations

Ball's determination stemmed from youthful setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" It was fuel to demonstrate he could succeed. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.

The next challenge is creating his own dance works. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the conventions is compelling, 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 substance, drawing ideas from books, compositions, and art.

Intimate Dance and Private Dynamic

He additionally favors staging dance in more intimate venues. "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 pieces with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t typically matched on stage at their main theater, which might be healthy. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he admits. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."

On Social Media and Bodily Image

On social media, followers can see videos from his projects and images that showcase a athletic form. Does he care that the engagement can be somewhat focused on appearance? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on multiple ways.

Ball characterizes his early self as "eager for success." Has it lived up to his hopes? "I feel very aware of how life is a different thing to the dreams you had as a child," he reflects. He probably has another ten years of performing ahead. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."