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In the hushed ambiance of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is naturally upright, his arms defined beneath a simple tee. During performances, ballet dancers can appear as mighty deities, yet frequently offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose height is part of his demand for heroic characters and pas de deux work. Possessing fine features and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.

A Seamless Ascent to the Pinnacle

Now 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has progressed smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced minimal ridicule for his childhood interest in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved directly into the company and was promoted annually, attaining the highest position of principal in 2018. He has relished taking on substantial characters, particularly the psychological turmoil found in a famed choreographer's ballets.

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

His next featured appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series designed to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a performer's art. He will guide the audience through a part, showing his cognitive process during execution. Even in lighter ballets, the challenge is significant. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding technically," he notes.

The Psychological Struggle and Post-Performance Feelings

How does he feel following a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the character, frequently I do feel self-conscious afterwards. Following an intense role I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"

Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer once observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite active in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for positive change."

Formative Drivers and Artistic Influences

His tenacity originated in youthful experiences. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "driven!" It was fuel to demonstrate he could succeed. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.

An upcoming challenge is making his own dance works. In his view, "organic movement has value." "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 filled with meaning, drawing ideas from books, music, and art.

Intimate Dance and Private Partnership

He additionally favors staging dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a human, and they’re sweating.'"

Ball has made pieces with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of trust 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 typically matched on stage at their home company, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed 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 social media, followers can see clips from his dance films and photos that showcase a athletic physique. Does he care that the engagement can be a bit focused on appearance? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he explains. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on multiple ways.

Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it lived up to his expectations? "I am conscious of how life is a separate thing to the dreams you made as a young person," he reflects. He likely has about decade of performing left. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."