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In the hushed ambiance of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is naturally straight-backed, his arms muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, dancers can appear like powerful gods, yet often in person they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose height is part of his demand for princely roles and partnering. Possessing delicate traits and piercing eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.

An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle

At 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has progressed smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced little teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved directly into the troupe and was advanced each year, reaching the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished tackling substantial 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."

Ball's next featured role is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event designed to offer intimate perspectives into a dancer's craft. He will walk the audience through a part, showing his mental workflow during performance. Yet in more comedic works, the test is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he states.

The Psychological Game and Post-Performance Emotions

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 lost in the character, quite often I do feel embarrassed later. After an intense role I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"

In person, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. But a dance maker previously observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very energetic in general, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for positive change."

Formative Motivations and Creative Inspirations

His determination originated in youthful setbacks. Not excelling in contests at school made him "driven!" This became fuel 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 remembers.

The next challenge is making his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the conventions 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 loaded with meaning, drawing inspiration from books, music, and painting.

Close-Up Performance and Personal Dynamic

He also is interested in presenting dance in more intimate spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past experience. "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 pieces with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They aren’t typically matched on stage at their home company, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he admits. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."

On Social Media and Bodily Image

On Instagram, fans can see clips from his projects and photos that showcase a athletic physique. Does he care that the response can be somewhat focused on appearance? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on various ways.

Ball characterizes his younger self as "eager for success." Has it met his hopes? "I feel very aware of how reality is a separate thing to the aspirations you made as a young person," he reflects. He probably has about ten years of dancing left. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."