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In the quiet ambiance of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His posture is effortlessly upright, his arms muscular beneath a plain tee. On stage, dancers can appear as mighty gods, yet often offstage they are petite. Not so Ball, whose height is one reason for his popularity for heroic characters and partnering. With delicate traits and intense eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.

An Apparent Rise to the Top

Now 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has progressed smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved directly into the troupe and was promoted each year, attaining the highest position of principal 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."

His next starring role is in a talk, in an "Evening With" event designed to offer intimate insights into a performer's art. He will guide the audience through a role, demonstrating his cognitive process while execution. Even in lighter ballets, the test is significant. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he notes.

The Psychological Struggle and After the Show Feelings

How does he feel following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the character, quite often I do feel embarrassed later. After Mayerling I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"

Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a dance maker previously remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite active usually, 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 Drivers and Artistic Inspirations

Ball's determination originated in youthful experiences. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" It was fuel to demonstrate he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.

The next challenge is making his own choreography. In his view, "organic movement has value." "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 Private Dynamic

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

Ball has made duets with his partner, fellow principal 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 usually paired on stage at their main theater, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."

On Social Media and Bodily Perception

On Instagram, followers can see videos from his dance films and images that highlight a athletic physique. Does he care that the response can be somewhat objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on various levels.

Ball describes his early self as "desperate for success." Has it lived up to his hopes? "I am conscious of how life is a different reality to the aspirations you made as a young person," he muses. He probably has about ten years of performing ahead. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."