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Within the quiet atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His posture is effortlessly upright, his arms muscular beneath a simple white T-shirt. On stage, dancers can appear as powerful gods, yet often offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for heroic characters and partnering. Possessing fine features and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.

A Seamless Ascent to the Top

Now 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced minimal ridicule for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated directly into the troupe and was advanced each year, reaching the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on meaty characters, particularly the psychological turmoil 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 "Evening With" series aiming to offer intimate insights into a dancer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a role, showing his mental process during execution. Yet in lighter works, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest technically," he notes.

The Mental Game and Post-Performance Feelings

How does he feel after a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get lost in the role, quite often I do feel embarrassed later. Following an intense role I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"

Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer previously observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very energetic in general, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for positive change."

Formative Drivers and Artistic Inspirations

Ball's tenacity originated in early setbacks. Not doing well in contests at school made him "driven!" It was motivation to demonstrate he could succeed. Discovering 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 creating his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the rules is compelling, but just pretending 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 substance, drawing inspiration from literature, music, and painting.

Close-Up Performance and Private Dynamic

He additionally is interested in staging dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past show. "You’re so near to the viewers. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"

Ball has created pieces with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of faith between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t usually paired on stage at their main theater, which might be healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he admits. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."

On Social Media and Physical Perception

On Instagram, followers can see videos from his dance films and photos that highlight a sculpted physique. Does he care that the engagement can be a bit focused on appearance? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on multiple levels.

Ball characterizes his younger self as "eager for success." Did it met his expectations? "I feel very aware of how reality is a different thing to the aspirations you had as a child," he muses. He likely has about decade of dancing left. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."