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In the quiet ambiance of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is naturally straight-backed, his limbs muscular beneath a simple tee. On stage, ballet dancers can appear like powerful deities, yet frequently in person they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for princely roles and partnering. With delicate features and piercing eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.

A Seamless Ascent to the Top

Now 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has progressed smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his childhood interest in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved directly into the troupe and was promoted each year, attaining the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved tackling meaty characters, particularly the emotional turmoil found in a famed choreographer's works.

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

Ball's next featured appearance is as himself, in an "Evening With" event designed to offer intimate insights into a performer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a part, demonstrating his mental workflow during execution. Yet in lighter ballets, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest technically," he states.

The Mental Struggle and After the Show Emotions

How does he feel after a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get lost in the role, frequently I do feel embarrassed later. After Mayerling I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"

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

Early Drivers and Creative Inspirations

Ball's tenacity originated in youthful experiences. Not excelling in contests at school made him "driven!" It was fuel to demonstrate he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.

The next endeavor is creating his own dance works. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the rules is interesting, 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 filled with meaning, drawing inspiration from literature, compositions, and art.

Intimate Dance and Private Partnership

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

Ball has created duets with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t usually matched on stage at their main theater, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."

Regarding Instagram and Bodily Perception

On Instagram, followers can see clips from his projects and photos that showcase a sculpted form. Does he mind that the engagement can be somewhat objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on multiple ways.

Ball characterizes his early self as "eager for success." Did it lived up to his expectations? "I feel very aware of how reality is a different thing to the aspirations you had as a child," he muses. He likely has another decade of performing ahead. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."