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In the hushed ambiance of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is naturally straight-backed, his arms defined beneath a simple tee. During performances, dancers can seem like mighty gods, yet often in person they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his popularity for heroic characters and partnering. Possessing delicate traits and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.

A Seamless Rise to the Pinnacle

Now 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has advanced smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his childhood interest in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved directly into the company and was advanced annually, attaining the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished taking on substantial characters, especially the emotional angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.

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

His next featured appearance is as himself, in an "Evening With" event aiming to offer intimate perspectives into a performer's art. He will walk the crowd through a role, demonstrating his cognitive process during performance. Even in more comedic works, the test is significant. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding technically," he notes.

The Mental Game and After the Show Feelings

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

Offstage, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker previously remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite energetic usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for positive change."

Formative Drivers and Artistic Inspirations

His tenacity stemmed from youthful experiences. Not doing well in contests at school made him "vengeful!" This became motivation to prove he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.

An upcoming endeavor is creating his own choreography. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the rules 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 wants his work to be loaded with meaning, drawing inspiration from literature, music, and art.

Close-Up Dance and Private Partnership

He additionally is interested in staging dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really thrilling," 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 made duets with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They are not typically paired on stage at their home company, which is perhaps beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he admits. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."

On Social Media and Bodily Perception

On Instagram, followers can see videos from his projects and images that showcase a athletic form. Does he care that the engagement can be somewhat focused on appearance? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on multiple levels.

Ball describes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it met his hopes? "I am conscious of how reality is a separate reality to the aspirations you had as a young person," he reflects. He probably has another decade of performing left. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."