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Within the hushed ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His posture is effortlessly straight-backed, his arms muscular beneath a plain tee. During performances, dancers can seem as mighty deities, yet often offstage they are petite. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for heroic characters and pas de deux work. Possessing fine traits and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.

An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle

Now 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has progressed smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered little ridicule for his early passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved directly into the troupe and was promoted each year, reaching the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished tackling substantial characters, particularly the psychological angst found in a famed choreographer's works.

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

His next starring role is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event aiming to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a performer's art. He will walk the audience through a role, demonstrating his cognitive workflow while performance. Even in more comedic ballets, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.

The Psychological Game and After the Show Feelings

What about following a performance, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the character, quite often I do feel self-conscious afterwards. Following an intense role I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"

In person, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker once observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite energetic usually, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for good change."

Formative Drivers and Creative Influences

Ball's determination originated in youthful experiences. Not excelling in contests at school made him "driven!" It was motivation to prove he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.

The next challenge is creating his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the conventions is compelling, but just pretending that they’re not a reality any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He aims his work to be filled with substance, drawing inspiration from books, compositions, and painting.

Intimate Performance and Personal Dynamic

He additionally favors staging dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"

Ball has created pieces with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t typically paired on stage at their main theater, which might be healthy. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he admits. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."

Regarding Instagram and Physical Image

On social media, followers can see clips from his dance films and images that highlight a sculpted physique. Does he care that the response can be a bit objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, 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 various levels.

Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it lived up to his expectations? "I am conscious of how life is a different thing to the aspirations you had as a young person," he reflects. He likely has another ten years of performing ahead. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."