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In the hushed ambiance of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His posture is effortlessly straight-backed, his arms muscular beneath a simple tee. On stage, ballet dancers can appear like powerful gods, yet often offstage they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his popularity for princely roles and partnering. With delicate features and piercing eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.

A Seamless Rise to the Top

At 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered minimal teasing for his early interest in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated directly into the company and was advanced each year, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on meaty characters, especially the psychological turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.

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

Ball's next starring role is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event designed to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a dancer's art. He will guide the audience through a role, showing his mental process while performance. Even in more comedic works, the challenge is significant. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he notes.

The Psychological Game and After the Show Feelings

How does he feel after a show, when he has succeeded? "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, quite often I do feel embarrassed afterwards. After Mayerling I'm always like: God, what must people think?"

In person, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer previously remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very active usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for positive change."

Early Motivations and Artistic Influences

His determination originated in youthful experiences. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" This became motivation to demonstrate 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 remembers.

The next challenge is making his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the conventions is interesting, but just acting that they’re not a thing 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 literature, music, and art.

Intimate Performance and Private Partnership

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

Ball has made pieces with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They are not typically paired on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he admits. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."

Regarding Instagram and Bodily Perception

On social media, followers can see videos from his dance films and photos that showcase a athletic form. Does he care that the engagement can be a bit 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 relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on multiple ways.

Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Did it lived up to his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a separate thing to the dreams you had as a child," he muses. He probably has another decade of dancing left. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."