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Within the hushed ambiance of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is effortlessly straight-backed, his arms muscular beneath a plain tee. On stage, ballet dancers can seem as powerful deities, yet often in person they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for heroic roles and partnering. With fine features and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.

An Apparent Rise to the Top

Now 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has progressed smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated directly into the company and was advanced each year, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved tackling meaty dramatic roles, particularly the emotional angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.

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

His upcoming starring role is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" series aiming to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a performer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a role, showing his cognitive process while performance. Yet in lighter ballets, the test is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest technically," he notes.

The Psychological Game and After the Show Feelings

What about after a show, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the role, frequently I do feel embarrassed later. After an intense role I'm always like: God, what must people think?"

Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer once observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "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 doubt has been an catalyst for positive change."

Early Motivations and Artistic Inspirations

His tenacity originated in early experiences. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "driven!" This became fuel 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 fanatical," he recalls.

An upcoming endeavor is making his own dance works. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the rules is interesting, 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 substance, drawing ideas from literature, compositions, and art.

Intimate Performance and Personal Partnership

He additionally favors staging dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past show. "You’re so close 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 principal Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t typically paired on stage at their main theater, which might be healthy. "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 cheerleader."

Regarding Instagram and Physical Image

On social media, followers can see videos from his projects and images that highlight a athletic form. Does he mind that the engagement can be a bit objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he explains. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on various levels.

Ball characterizes his early self as "eager for success." Did it lived up to his hopes? "I feel very aware of how life is a separate thing to the dreams you made as a child," he muses. He likely has another ten years of performing ahead. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."