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Within the quiet ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is effortlessly straight-backed, his arms defined beneath a simple tee. During performances, ballet dancers can appear as powerful deities, yet frequently offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for heroic roles and pas de deux work. With delicate traits and piercing eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.

A Seamless Ascent to the Top

Now 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has progressed smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced little teasing for his early passion in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated straight into the troupe and was advanced each year, attaining the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished taking on meaty characters, particularly the psychological angst found in a famed choreographer's works.

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

His upcoming featured appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" event designed to offer intimate perspectives into a dancer's art. He will walk the crowd through a part, demonstrating his mental process while performance. Even in lighter works, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.

The Psychological 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. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get lost in the character, frequently I do feel embarrassed later. Following an intense role I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"

Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer once remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very energetic usually, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for positive change."

Formative Drivers and Creative Influences

Ball's determination originated in youthful setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "driven!" It was motivation to demonstrate he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.

An upcoming endeavor is making his own choreography. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the conventions 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 substance, drawing ideas from books, compositions, and painting.

Close-Up Performance and Personal Partnership

He additionally is interested in staging dance in smaller venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past show. "You’re so close to the audience. 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 degree of faith between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t typically 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 admits. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite supporter."

On Social Media and Physical Image

On social media, fans can see videos from his dance films and images that showcase a sculpted form. Does he mind that the response can be somewhat focused on appearance? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on multiple ways.

Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it lived up to his expectations? "I feel very aware of how life is a separate reality to the aspirations you had as a young person," he reflects. He probably has about decade of dancing ahead. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."