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Within the quiet ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's posture is naturally straight-backed, his limbs defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, dancers can appear as mighty gods, yet often in person they are petite. Not so Ball, whose height is one reason for his demand for heroic characters and pas de deux work. Possessing fine features and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.

A Seamless Rise 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 interest in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated directly into the company and was advanced each year, reaching the top rank of principal in 2018. He has loved tackling substantial characters, particularly the emotional turmoil found in a famed choreographer's works.

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

His next featured appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series designed to offer intimate perspectives into a dancer's art. He will walk the audience through a part, demonstrating his mental workflow while performance. Yet in lighter ballets, the test is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest technically," he notes.

The Mental Game and Post-Performance Emotions

What about following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get lost in the role, frequently I do feel self-conscious later. Following an intense role I'm always like: God, what must people think?"

Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, 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 melancholy streak," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for good change."

Formative Motivations and Creative Inspirations

Ball's determination stemmed from youthful experiences. Not excelling in contests at school made him "vengeful!" This became motivation 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.

An upcoming endeavor is making his own dance works. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the conventions is interesting, but just pretending 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 substance, drawing ideas from literature, music, and art.

Close-Up Dance and Personal Dynamic

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

Ball has made pieces with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of faith between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They are not usually paired on stage at their main theater, which might be healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed 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 social media, fans can see clips from his projects and images that highlight a athletic form. Does he care that the response can be somewhat objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he explains. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on multiple levels.

Ball describes his early self as "eager for success." Did it met his expectations? "I feel very aware of how reality is a different reality to the dreams you made as a child," he reflects. He likely has about ten years of performing left. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."