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In the quiet ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's posture is effortlessly upright, his arms defined beneath a simple tee. On stage, ballet dancers can appear like powerful gods, yet frequently offstage they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for heroic roles and partnering. Possessing delicate features and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.

An Apparent Ascent to the Top

Now 31, Ball is experiencing the crest 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 graduated straight into the troupe and was promoted annually, attaining the highest position of principal in 2018. He has relished tackling meaty characters, especially the psychological turmoil found in a famed choreographer's ballets.

"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" series aiming to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a dancer's craft. He will walk the audience through a part, demonstrating his mental workflow during performance. Even in lighter ballets, the test is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest technically," he notes.

The Mental Struggle and After the Show Emotions

What about following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the role, quite often I do feel self-conscious later. After an intense role I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"

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

Early Motivations and Artistic Inspirations

His determination originated in early experiences. Not excelling in contests at school made him "vengeful!" This became motivation to demonstrate he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.

An upcoming endeavor is making his own dance works. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging 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 aims his work to be loaded with meaning, drawing ideas from books, music, and painting.

Intimate Performance and Personal Partnership

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

Ball has made pieces with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of faith between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple are not usually matched on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."

Regarding Instagram and Bodily Perception

On Instagram, followers can see videos from his dance films and photos that highlight a athletic physique. Does he mind that the response can be somewhat objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on multiple levels.

Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it met his hopes? "I feel very aware of how life is a different reality to the aspirations you had as a young person," he reflects. He probably has about ten years of dancing ahead. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."