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Within the quiet atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is naturally upright, his limbs muscular beneath a simple white T-shirt. During performances, dancers can appear as mighty gods, yet often offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for heroic characters and partnering. With delicate features and piercing eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.

A Seamless Rise to the Pinnacle

Now 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has progressed smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved directly into the troupe and was advanced each year, reaching the highest position of principal in 2018. He has relished tackling meaty characters, especially the emotional angst found in a famed choreographer's ballets.

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

Ball's upcoming starring appearance is as himself, in an "Evening With" series designed to offer intimate perspectives into a performer's art. He will guide the audience through a part, demonstrating his mental workflow during execution. Even in lighter ballets, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest technically," he states.

The Mental Game and After the Show Emotions

How does he feel after a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the role, frequently I do feel self-conscious afterwards. After Mayerling I'm always like: God, what must people think?"

In person, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. But a dance maker once observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very active in general, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."

Formative Drivers and Artistic Inspirations

Ball's determination stemmed from early experiences. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "driven!" This became fuel to demonstrate he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.

The next endeavor is making his own dance works. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "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 wants his work to be filled with meaning, drawing ideas from literature, music, and painting.

Close-Up Dance and Private Partnership

He additionally is interested in staging dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past show. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"

Ball has created duets with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They aren’t typically paired on stage at their home company, which is perhaps beneficial. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he admits. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."

Regarding Instagram and Bodily Image

On social media, followers can see clips from his dance films and images that highlight a sculpted 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 protective about it," he states. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on multiple ways.

Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it met his expectations? "I feel very aware of how reality is a separate reality to the dreams you had as a young person," he reflects. He probably has another ten years of dancing left. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."