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In the hushed ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His posture is naturally upright, his arms muscular beneath a plain tee. During performances, ballet dancers can appear as powerful gods, yet frequently offstage they are petite. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is part of his popularity for heroic roles and partnering. With delicate traits and piercing eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.

A Seamless Ascent to the Pinnacle

At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has advanced smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered little teasing for his early interest in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the company and was promoted annually, attaining the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished tackling substantial characters, especially the emotional turmoil found in a famed choreographer's ballets.

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

His upcoming starring role is in a talk, in an "Evening With" event designed to offer intimate perspectives into a dancer's art. He will walk the crowd through a role, demonstrating his mental process while performance. Yet in more comedic works, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.

The Mental Game and Post-Performance Feelings

How does he feel following a show, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the role, frequently I do feel embarrassed afterwards. Following Mayerling I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"

In person, Ball is reflective, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker once observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite active in general, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."

Early Drivers and Artistic Inspirations

His tenacity stemmed from early experiences. Not excelling in contests at school made him "vengeful!" It was 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.

The next endeavor is creating 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 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 literature, compositions, and painting.

Intimate Dance and Personal Partnership

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

Ball has made pieces 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 daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple are not usually matched on stage at their home company, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite supporter."

Regarding Instagram and Physical Image

On social media, followers can see clips from his dance films and images that showcase a athletic form. Does he mind that the response can be a bit focused on appearance? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on multiple ways.

Ball describes his early self as "eager for success." Did it met his hopes? "I feel very aware of how life is a separate thing to the aspirations you made as a child," he muses. He likely has about decade of dancing ahead. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."