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Within the quiet ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His posture is effortlessly straight-backed, his arms muscular beneath a simple tee. On stage, ballet dancers can appear as mighty deities, yet often in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his demand for heroic characters and partnering. With fine features and piercing eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.

An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle

At 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced minimal ridicule for his childhood interest in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved directly into the company and was promoted annually, reaching the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished taking on substantial dramatic roles, particularly the emotional angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.

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

Ball's next featured role is as himself, in an "In Conversation" event aiming to offer intimate insights into a performer's art. He will walk the crowd through a role, demonstrating his cognitive workflow during execution. Even in more comedic works, the test is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he states.

The Mental Struggle and Post-Performance Feelings

How does he feel following a show, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get lost in the role, frequently I do feel self-conscious later. Following Mayerling I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"

In person, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker once observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very energetic usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for good change."

Early Motivations and Creative Influences

Ball's determination originated in youthful setbacks. Not doing well in contests at school made him "driven!" It was motivation to demonstrate he could succeed. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.

The next endeavor is creating his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Challenging 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 meaning, drawing ideas from books, music, and art.

Intimate Performance and Personal Dynamic

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

Ball has made pieces with his partner, fellow lead dancer 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 typically paired on stage at their home company, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he admits. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite supporter."

Regarding Instagram and Bodily Image

On social media, followers can see videos from his dance films and photos that highlight a sculpted physique. Does he care that the response can be a bit objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on multiple levels.

Ball describes his younger self as "eager for success." Has it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how life is a separate reality to the aspirations you had as a young person," he muses. He probably has another ten years of dancing ahead. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."