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In the hushed atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His posture is effortlessly upright, his arms defined beneath a plain tee. During performances, ballet dancers can appear like powerful gods, yet often offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose height is part of his demand for heroic characters and pas de deux work. Possessing fine traits and intense eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.

A Seamless Rise to the Pinnacle

Now 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has progressed seamlessly. 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 troupe and was promoted annually, attaining the highest position of principal in 2018. He has loved tackling substantial dramatic roles, especially the emotional angst found in a famed choreographer's ballets.

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

His next featured 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 workflow during execution. Yet in more comedic works, the test is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.

The Mental Struggle and After the Show Feelings

How does he feel after a show, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the role, frequently I do feel self-conscious afterwards. After an intense role I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"

Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. But a dance maker once observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite active in general, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for good change."

Early Motivations and Creative Influences

His determination stemmed from early experiences. Not doing well in contests at school made him "driven!" This became motivation to prove he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.

The next challenge is making his own dance works. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the conventions is interesting, but just pretending that they’re not a reality any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He wants his work to be filled with substance, drawing inspiration from books, music, and art.

Intimate Dance and Personal Dynamic

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

Ball has made pieces with his partner, 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 daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They are not usually matched on stage at their main theater, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "Yet 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 projects and images that showcase a sculpted form. Does he mind that the engagement can be a bit focused on appearance? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on various levels.

Ball describes his early self as "eager for success." Has it lived up to his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a different reality to the dreams you made as a child," he reflects. He likely has another ten years of dancing left. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."