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Within the hushed atmosphere of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His posture is effortlessly upright, his arms defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, dancers can appear like mighty deities, yet often in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his popularity for princely characters and partnering. With fine features and piercing eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.

A Seamless Ascent to the Pinnacle

Now 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has advanced smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his childhood interest in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the company and was promoted each year, reaching the highest position of principal in 2018. He has relished taking on meaty characters, particularly the psychological turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.

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

Ball's upcoming featured appearance is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" series aiming to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a dancer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a part, showing his mental process during execution. Even in more comedic works, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he states.

The Psychological Struggle and After the Show Feelings

How does he feel after a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get lost in the character, frequently I do feel self-conscious afterwards. After Mayerling I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"

Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer previously observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite energetic in general, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."

Early Motivations and Artistic Influences

Ball's determination originated in early setbacks. Not doing well in contests at school made him "vengeful!" This became motivation to prove he could achieve. Discovering 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 creating his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the conventions is interesting, but just pretending that they’re not a reality any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He aims his work to be loaded with substance, drawing inspiration from literature, compositions, and art.

Intimate Dance and Private Dynamic

He also favors presenting dance in smaller venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past show. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"

Ball has created pieces with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They aren’t usually matched on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."

On Social Media and Physical Image

On Instagram, fans can see clips from his projects and photos that highlight a sculpted form. Does he care that the response 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 explains. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on various levels.

Ball characterizes his early self as "desperate for success." Has it met his hopes? "I am conscious of how reality is a different reality to the dreams you had as a child," he muses. He likely has about decade of performing ahead. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."