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In the hushed atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is effortlessly upright, his arms muscular beneath a simple white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can seem as mighty deities, yet often offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose height is one reason for his demand for princely roles and partnering. With delicate features and intense eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.

An Apparent Ascent to the Top

At 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has progressed smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered minimal ridicule for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved straight into the troupe and was advanced each year, attaining the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished 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."

Ball's next featured appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series designed to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a performer's art. He will guide the audience through a role, showing his cognitive process while execution. Even in more comedic ballets, the challenge is significant. "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's pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the role, frequently I do feel self-conscious afterwards. Following an intense role I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"

Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. But a dance maker once observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite active usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for positive change."

Early Drivers and Creative Influences

His determination originated in youthful experiences. Not excelling in contests 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 remembers.

An upcoming endeavor is making his own choreography. In his view, "organic movement has value." "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 aims his work to be loaded with substance, drawing inspiration from literature, compositions, and art.

Close-Up Performance and Private Dynamic

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 audience. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a human, and they’re sweating.'"

Ball has created duets with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of faith between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple are not usually matched on stage at their home company, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite supporter."

On Social Media and Bodily Perception

On social media, followers can see videos from his dance films and images that showcase a athletic form. Does he care that the response can be somewhat objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on various ways.

Ball describes his early self as "eager for success." Has it lived up to his expectations? "I feel very aware of how life is a different thing to the aspirations you had as a young person," he reflects. He probably has about ten years of dancing left. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."