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Within the quiet atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His posture is naturally straight-backed, his limbs defined beneath a plain tee. On stage, dancers can appear as mighty deities, yet frequently in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his popularity for princely characters and partnering. Possessing delicate traits and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.

An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle

Now 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered minimal teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the troupe and was promoted annually, attaining the top rank of principal in 2018. He has loved taking on meaty characters, especially the emotional angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.

"Your breath is short, 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 insights into a performer's craft. He will walk the crowd through a part, demonstrating his cognitive process while performance. Even in lighter works, the test is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest technically," he states.

The Psychological Struggle and Post-Performance Feelings

How does he feel after 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 self-conscious afterwards. Following an intense role I'm always like: God, what must people think?"

In person, Ball is reflective, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. But a dance maker previously observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite energetic in general, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for positive change."

Formative Motivations and Creative Inspirations

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

An upcoming endeavor is making his own dance works. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the rules is compelling, but just pretending 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 filled with meaning, drawing inspiration from books, compositions, and art.

Close-Up Performance and Personal Partnership

He additionally is interested in staging dance in smaller venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so close to the viewers. 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 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 aren’t usually matched on stage at their main theater, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."

On Social Media and Bodily Perception

On Instagram, fans can see videos from his dance films and photos that highlight a sculpted physique. Does he mind that the engagement can be a bit focused on appearance? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he explains. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on multiple ways.

Ball describes his early self as "desperate for success." Did it met his expectations? "I feel very aware of how life is a separate thing to the aspirations you had as a young person," he reflects. He probably has another ten years of performing left. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."