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In the hushed atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is effortlessly upright, his limbs muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, dancers can seem as powerful gods, yet often offstage they are petite. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for princely characters and partnering. With delicate traits and intense eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.

A Seamless Ascent to the Top

At 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced little ridicule for his early interest in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the company and was advanced annually, reaching the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on meaty characters, particularly the psychological angst found in a famed choreographer's ballets.

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

His upcoming featured appearance is as himself, in an "Evening With" series designed to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a dancer's art. He will guide the audience through a part, demonstrating his cognitive process during execution. Yet in more comedic works, the test is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he notes.

The Mental Struggle and Post-Performance Emotions

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

In person, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker once observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very active usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."

Formative Drivers and Creative Influences

Ball's tenacity stemmed from youthful setbacks. 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 "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." "Challenging the conventions 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 substance, drawing ideas from literature, compositions, and art.

Close-Up Performance and Private Partnership

He also is interested in presenting dance in more intimate 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 created pieces with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious 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 notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."

On Social Media and Physical Perception

On Instagram, followers can see clips from his dance films and images that highlight a sculpted form. Does he mind that the engagement can be somewhat objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he explains. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on multiple ways.

Ball describes his early self as "desperate for success." Did it met his hopes? "I feel very aware of how life is a different thing to the dreams you made as a young person," he reflects. He probably has about ten years of dancing ahead. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."