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In the quiet atmosphere of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's posture is effortlessly straight-backed, his limbs defined beneath a simple white T-shirt. On stage, dancers can seem as mighty gods, yet often in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is part of his demand for heroic roles and pas de deux work. With delicate traits and piercing eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.

An Apparent Rise to the Pinnacle

At 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered minimal teasing for his childhood interest in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated straight into the troupe and was advanced annually, attaining the highest position of principal in 2018. He has relished tackling substantial 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 neural fatigue."

His upcoming starring role is as himself, in an "Evening With" series aiming to offer intimate perspectives into a performer's art. He will walk the audience through a role, showing his mental workflow while performance. Yet in more comedic ballets, the test is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest technically," he notes.

The Psychological Struggle and After the Show Feelings

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

In person, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer once remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very energetic in general, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for positive change."

Early Motivations and Artistic Inspirations

His tenacity originated in youthful setbacks. Not excelling in contests at school made him "vengeful!" It was motivation to demonstrate he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.

An upcoming challenge is making his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the conventions is compelling, but just acting 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 loaded with meaning, drawing ideas from books, music, and painting.

Intimate Dance and Personal Dynamic

He also is interested in 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 realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"

Ball has made pieces with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They are not 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 notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."

On Social Media and Bodily Perception

On social media, fans can see videos from his projects and photos that showcase a athletic physique. Does he mind that the response can be a bit objectifying? 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—an object that can be interpreted on multiple ways.

Ball describes his younger self as "eager for success." Did it met his hopes? "I feel very aware of how life is a different thing to the dreams you made as a child," he reflects. He likely has about ten years of performing left. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."