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In the hushed ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is effortlessly upright, his limbs muscular beneath a simple white T-shirt. On stage, dancers can seem like mighty gods, yet often in person they are petite. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is part of his popularity for heroic roles and pas de deux work. With delicate features and piercing eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.

A Seamless Rise to the Pinnacle

At 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced little teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated straight into the troupe and was promoted annually, reaching the top rank of principal in 2018. He has relished taking on substantial dramatic roles, especially the emotional turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.

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

Ball's upcoming featured role is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event aiming to offer intimate insights into a performer's art. He will walk the audience through a part, showing his mental workflow while performance. Yet in lighter works, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest technically," he notes.

The Psychological Game and Post-Performance Feelings

How does he feel following a performance, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get lost in the role, quite often I do feel embarrassed later. Following Mayerling I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"

Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker previously observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite energetic in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for good change."

Early Motivations and Artistic Inspirations

His tenacity originated in early setbacks. Not excelling in contests at school made him "driven!" This became fuel to prove he could succeed. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.

The next challenge is making his own dance works. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the rules is compelling, 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 meaning, drawing ideas from literature, compositions, and painting.

Close-Up Performance and Private Dynamic

He also favors staging dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"

Ball has made duets with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They are not usually paired on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he admits. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."

On Social Media and Physical Perception

On Instagram, fans can see videos from his projects and images that showcase a athletic physique. Does he care 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 compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on multiple levels.

Ball describes his younger self as "desperate for success." Did it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a different thing to the dreams you made as a child," he muses. He probably has another ten years of dancing ahead. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."