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Within the hushed ambiance of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's posture is effortlessly straight-backed, his limbs defined beneath a simple white T-shirt. On stage, ballet dancers can seem as powerful deities, yet often in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his demand for princely roles and partnering. With delicate traits and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.

An Apparent Rise to the Pinnacle

Now 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has progressed smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered little teasing for his childhood interest in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated straight into the troupe and was advanced annually, attaining the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished tackling meaty dramatic roles, especially the emotional angst found in a famed choreographer's works.

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

Ball's next starring role is as himself, in an "In Conversation" event aiming to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a dancer's art. He will walk the crowd through a role, demonstrating his cognitive workflow during performance. Even in more comedic works, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.

The Psychological Struggle 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 juice out of it, and get lost in the role, frequently I do feel embarrassed afterwards. Following an intense role I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"

In person, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. But a choreographer once observed on a "kind 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 doubt has been an catalyst for positive change."

Formative Motivations and Artistic Inspirations

Ball's determination stemmed from early setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "driven!" This became fuel to demonstrate he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.

An upcoming endeavor is making his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Breaking 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 loaded with substance, drawing ideas from books, music, and painting.

Intimate Performance and Private Partnership

He also favors staging dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past show. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"

Ball has created pieces with his girlfriend, 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." The couple aren’t usually matched on stage at their home company, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he admits. "Yet 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 photos that highlight a athletic physique. 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 compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on multiple ways.

Ball characterizes his early self as "desperate for success." Has it lived up to his hopes? "I feel very aware of how reality is a separate thing to the aspirations you made as a child," he muses. He probably has about ten years of performing left. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."