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In the quiet atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is effortlessly straight-backed, his limbs muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can seem as powerful deities, yet frequently offstage they are petite. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his popularity for heroic characters and partnering. With fine traits and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson 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 encountered little teasing for his early interest in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the troupe and was advanced annually, attaining the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on meaty characters, especially the emotional turmoil found in a famed choreographer's works.

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

Ball's upcoming starring role is as himself, in an "In Conversation" series aiming to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a dancer's craft. He will guide the audience through a part, demonstrating his cognitive workflow while execution. Yet in lighter ballets, the test is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he states.

The Mental Struggle and Post-Performance Emotions

How does he feel following a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the character, quite often I do feel embarrassed afterwards. After Mayerling I'm always like: God, what must people think?"

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

Formative Motivations and Creative Inspirations

Ball's determination stemmed from early experiences. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" It was fuel to prove he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.

The next endeavor is making his own dance works. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the rules is interesting, but just pretending that they’re not a thing any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He aims his work to be loaded with substance, drawing inspiration from books, compositions, and art.

Intimate Dance and Personal Dynamic

He also is interested in presenting dance in more intimate venues. "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 made duets with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They aren’t typically paired on stage at their main theater, which might be 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 cheerleader."

Regarding Instagram and Bodily Image

On social media, followers can see videos from his dance films and photos that highlight a sculpted form. Does he care that the response can be somewhat objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on various ways.

Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it lived up to his expectations? "I feel very aware of how life is a separate reality to the aspirations you had as a young person," he reflects. He likely has another decade of performing left. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."