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Within the hushed ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is effortlessly upright, his arms defined beneath a plain tee. On stage, ballet dancers can appear like powerful gods, yet often offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is part of his popularity for princely roles and pas de deux work. With fine features and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.

A Seamless Ascent to the Top

Now 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has advanced smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered minimal teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved straight into the company and was promoted each year, attaining the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on substantial dramatic roles, especially the emotional angst 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" event aiming to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a performer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a part, showing his cognitive process during performance. Yet in lighter works, the test is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest technically," he states.

The Psychological Game and After the Show Emotions

What about after a performance, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the role, quite often I do feel embarrassed afterwards. After an intense role I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"

In person, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer once remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite energetic in general, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for positive change."

Formative Drivers and Creative Influences

His determination stemmed from youthful experiences. Not excelling in contests at school made him "vengeful!" This became motivation to demonstrate he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," 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 reality any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He aims his work to be loaded with substance, drawing inspiration from literature, compositions, and art.

Close-Up Dance and Personal Partnership

He also is interested in presenting dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so near to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"

Ball has made duets with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple are not usually paired on stage at their home company, which is perhaps beneficial. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he admits. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."

Regarding Instagram and Bodily Perception

On social media, followers can see clips from his dance films and images 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 use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he explains. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on multiple levels.

Ball describes his younger self as "eager for success." Has it met his hopes? "I am conscious of how life is a different thing to the dreams you made as a child," he reflects. He likely has another ten years of dancing left. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."