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Within the quiet ambiance of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is effortlessly straight-backed, his limbs muscular beneath a simple tee. On stage, ballet dancers can seem as powerful deities, yet frequently offstage they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose height is part of his popularity for heroic characters and partnering. Possessing delicate traits and intense eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.

A Seamless Ascent to the Top

Now 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has advanced smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered minimal teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated directly into the troupe and was advanced each year, reaching the top rank of principal in 2018. He has loved tackling meaty characters, 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 as himself, in an "In Conversation" series aiming to offer intimate insights into a dancer's craft. He will walk the audience through a part, demonstrating his mental process during performance. Even in lighter ballets, the challenge is significant. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he states.

The Psychological Game and Post-Performance Feelings

What about following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get lost in the character, frequently I do feel self-conscious later. After an intense role I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"

In person, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker previously remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite 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 catalyst for good change."

Early Drivers and Artistic Influences

His tenacity originated in youthful setbacks. Not doing well in contests at school made him "vengeful!" It was motivation to demonstrate he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.

The next endeavor is making his own dance works. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the rules 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.

Close-Up Performance and Private Partnership

He also is interested in presenting dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re sweating.'"

Ball has created duets with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They aren’t typically matched on stage at their home company, which might be healthy. "We’re both quite determined 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 Bodily Perception

On Instagram, followers can see clips from his projects and photos that showcase a sculpted physique. Does he care that the engagement can be a bit focused on appearance? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on multiple ways.

Ball describes his younger self as "eager for success." Has it lived up to his hopes? "I am conscious of how life is a separate thing to the aspirations you made as a young person," he muses. He likely has another decade of dancing left. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."