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Within 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 simple tee. During performances, dancers can seem like powerful deities, yet often in person they are small. Not so Ball, whose height is part of his popularity for heroic characters and partnering. Possessing fine traits and intense eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.

A Seamless Ascent to the Top

At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has advanced smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered little teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated straight into the company and was advanced annually, attaining the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved tackling meaty dramatic roles, especially the psychological turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.

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

His upcoming featured appearance is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event designed to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a dancer's craft. He will walk the audience through a role, demonstrating his cognitive workflow while execution. Even in lighter ballets, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding technically," he states.

The Mental Struggle and Post-Performance Feelings

How does he feel after a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the character, quite often I do feel self-conscious later. Following 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 previously observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite active usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."

Early Motivations and Creative Influences

His determination stemmed from early setbacks. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" It was fuel to prove he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.

An upcoming endeavor is making his own choreography. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the rules is interesting, but just acting 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 painting.

Intimate Performance and Personal Partnership

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

Ball has made duets with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple are not typically paired on stage at their main theater, which might be healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he admits. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."

On Social Media and Physical Image

On social media, followers can see videos from his projects and photos that showcase a sculpted form. Does he care that the engagement can be a bit objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on multiple levels.

Ball describes his younger self as "eager for success." Has it met his hopes? "I am conscious of how life is a different reality to the dreams you had as a young person," he reflects. He likely has another ten years of dancing left. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."