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Within the hushed atmosphere of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's posture is naturally straight-backed, his limbs muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can appear as powerful deities, yet frequently offstage they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is part of his popularity for princely roles and partnering. Possessing fine features and intense eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.

A Seamless Ascent to the Top

At 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered minimal teasing for his early passion in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved directly into the company and was advanced each year, attaining the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished tackling substantial characters, especially the psychological angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.

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

Ball's upcoming featured appearance is as himself, in an "Evening With" series aiming to offer intimate perspectives into a performer's craft. He will walk the audience through a part, demonstrating his cognitive process during execution. Yet in lighter ballets, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he notes.

The Psychological Game and After the Show Emotions

What about after a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the role, frequently I do feel self-conscious afterwards. Following Mayerling I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"

Offstage, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker once remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very 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 catalyst for positive change."

Early Drivers and Creative Influences

His tenacity stemmed from youthful experiences. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" It was motivation to prove he could succeed. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.

An upcoming challenge is creating his own choreography. In his view, "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 inspiration from books, compositions, and art.

Intimate Dance and Private Dynamic

He additionally is interested in staging dance in smaller venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past experience. "You’re so near to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: '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 evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t usually matched on stage at their home company, which might be healthy. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he admits. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite supporter."

On Social Media and Bodily Image

On Instagram, fans can see clips from his projects and images that highlight a sculpted physique. Does he mind that the engagement 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 relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on various levels.

Ball characterizes his early self as "desperate for success." Did it met his hopes? "I am conscious of how life is a separate reality to the dreams you had as a child," he reflects. He probably has about ten years of performing left. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."