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Within the hushed atmosphere of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is effortlessly straight-backed, his arms muscular beneath a simple tee. On stage, ballet dancers can appear as powerful gods, yet frequently offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose height is one reason for his demand for princely roles and partnering. Possessing delicate features and piercing eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.

An Apparent Rise to the Top

At 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced little ridicule for his early passion in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated directly into the company and was advanced annually, reaching the top rank of principal in 2018. He has relished taking on substantial dramatic roles, especially the emotional turmoil found in a famed choreographer's ballets.

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

His next featured role is as himself, in an "In Conversation" series designed to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a performer's art. He will guide the crowd through a part, showing his mental workflow while execution. Even in lighter ballets, the challenge is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding technically," he states.

The Mental Game and Post-Performance Feelings

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

Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker previously remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite active in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for good change."

Early Drivers and Artistic Inspirations

His tenacity originated in early setbacks. Not excelling in contests at school made him "driven!" This became motivation to prove he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.

An upcoming challenge is creating 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 filled with substance, drawing inspiration from books, compositions, and art.

Close-Up Performance and Private Dynamic

He additionally favors staging dance in smaller venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past show. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"

Ball has made pieces with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t typically matched on stage at their home company, which is perhaps beneficial. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."

Regarding Instagram and Bodily Image

On social media, followers can see videos from his dance films and images that showcase a sculpted physique. 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 protective about it," he states. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on various ways.

Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Did it lived up to his expectations? "I am conscious of how life is a different thing to the dreams you made as a child," he reflects. He probably has about ten years of dancing ahead. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."