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In the hushed atmosphere of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is naturally upright, his arms defined beneath a simple white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can appear as mighty gods, yet often offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his popularity for princely characters and partnering. Possessing fine features and intense eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.

An Apparent Ascent to the Top

At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has progressed smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered minimal teasing for his early passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated straight into the troupe and was promoted annually, attaining the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished taking on meaty dramatic roles, especially the emotional turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.

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

Ball's next featured appearance is as himself, in an "Evening With" event aiming to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a performer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a part, demonstrating his cognitive process during performance. Even in more comedic works, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he states.

The Psychological Struggle and After the Show Feelings

What about following a performance, 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 immersed in the role, quite often I do feel embarrassed later. Following Mayerling I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"

Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a dance maker previously observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very energetic in general, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."

Formative Motivations and Creative Influences

Ball's tenacity originated in youthful experiences. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" This became 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 fanatical," he recalls.

The next endeavor is creating his own dance works. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Breaking 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 loaded with meaning, drawing ideas from books, music, and art.

Close-Up Dance and Private Partnership

He also favors staging dance in smaller venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous show. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"

Ball has created pieces with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They are not usually matched on stage at their main theater, which might be healthy. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite supporter."

On Social Media and Physical Image

On Instagram, fans can see clips from his projects and photos that highlight a athletic physique. Does he mind that the engagement can be somewhat objectifying? Not particularly. "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 describes his younger self as "desperate for success." Did it lived up to his expectations? "I feel very aware of how reality is a different thing to the aspirations you made as a child," he muses. He probably has about ten years of dancing ahead. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."