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Within the hushed ambiance of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His posture is effortlessly upright, his limbs defined beneath a plain tee. On stage, dancers can appear like powerful deities, yet frequently offstage they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his demand for heroic characters and pas de deux work. With fine traits and intense eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.

A Seamless Rise to the Pinnacle

Now 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated directly into the company and was advanced annually, reaching the top rank of principal in 2018. He has relished tackling meaty dramatic roles, particularly the emotional angst found in a famed choreographer's ballets.

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

His next starring appearance is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event designed to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a dancer's art. He will guide the crowd through a part, demonstrating his mental workflow while performance. Even in lighter works, the challenge is significant. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.

The Psychological Game and Post-Performance Emotions

What about following a show, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the role, quite often I do feel self-conscious later. Following Mayerling I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"

In person, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker previously observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very energetic in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."

Formative Motivations and Artistic Influences

His determination originated in youthful experiences. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "driven!" It was motivation to prove he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.

An upcoming challenge is creating his own dance works. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the rules 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 wants his work to be loaded with substance, drawing inspiration from books, music, and painting.

Close-Up Performance and Personal Dynamic

He also is interested in staging dance in smaller venues. "It was just really thrilling," 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 degree of trust between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They are not usually paired on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps beneficial. "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 biggest cheerleader."

On Social Media and Physical Image

On social media, followers can see clips from his projects and photos that highlight a athletic physique. Does he care that the response can be somewhat focused on appearance? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on various ways.

Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Did it lived up to his hopes? "I feel very aware of how life is a separate reality to the aspirations you had as a child," he muses. He likely has another ten years of performing left. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."