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In the quiet ambiance of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His posture is effortlessly upright, his limbs defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can seem as powerful gods, yet often offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his popularity for princely characters and partnering. With delicate features and intense eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.

An Apparent Ascent to the Top

At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced minimal ridicule for his childhood passion in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated straight into the troupe and was advanced each year, reaching the top rank of principal in 2018. He has relished tackling meaty dramatic roles, particularly the emotional angst found in a famed choreographer's works.

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

His upcoming featured role is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series designed to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a performer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a part, demonstrating his cognitive workflow while performance. Yet in lighter works, the test is significant. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest technically," he notes.

The Psychological Game and After the Show Emotions

What about following a show, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the character, quite often I do feel self-conscious later. After Mayerling I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"

Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. But a dance maker once observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very energetic usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for positive change."

Formative Drivers and Creative Influences

Ball's tenacity originated in early setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" This became fuel to demonstrate 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 recalls.

The next challenge is creating his own dance works. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking 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 aims his work to be filled with substance, drawing inspiration from books, compositions, and art.

Intimate Dance and Private Dynamic

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

Ball has created pieces with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple are not usually matched on stage at their home company, which might be healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he admits. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."

Regarding Instagram and Bodily Perception

On Instagram, fans can see videos from his projects and photos that showcase a sculpted physique. Does he care that the engagement can be somewhat focused on appearance? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on multiple ways.

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