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In the quiet ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's posture is naturally straight-backed, his arms defined beneath a simple white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can appear as powerful deities, yet often in person they are petite. Not so Ball, whose height is one reason for his demand for princely characters and pas de deux work. Possessing fine features and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.

An Apparent Rise to the Pinnacle

Now 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has progressed smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered little ridicule for his early interest in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved directly into the troupe and was advanced each year, attaining the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished taking on meaty dramatic roles, especially the psychological turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.

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

His next starring appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series designed to offer intimate insights into a performer's craft. He will walk the audience through a part, demonstrating his cognitive workflow while performance. Yet in more comedic ballets, the test is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.

The Mental Game and After the Show Feelings

How does he feel after a performance, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the role, frequently I do feel embarrassed later. Following an intense role I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"

In person, Ball is reflective, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer once observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very active usually, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for good change."

Formative Motivations and Artistic Inspirations

His tenacity originated in youthful setbacks. Not doing well in contests at school made him "driven!" This became motivation to demonstrate he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.

The next endeavor is creating his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the rules 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 inspiration from literature, compositions, and painting.

Intimate Performance and Private Partnership

He also is interested in staging dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past 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 made pieces with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They are not typically paired on stage at their home company, which is perhaps beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite supporter."

On Social Media and Physical Image

On social media, fans can see clips from his dance films and images that showcase a sculpted physique. Does he mind that the response can be somewhat focused on appearance? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on various ways.

Ball characterizes his early self as "eager for success." Did it lived up to his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a separate reality to the aspirations you had as a child," he reflects. He likely has another decade of dancing left. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."