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Within the hushed ambiance of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His posture is naturally straight-backed, his arms muscular beneath a plain tee. On stage, ballet dancers can appear like powerful deities, yet frequently offstage they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is part of his popularity for heroic roles and pas de deux work. With fine features and intense eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.

A Seamless Ascent to the Top

Now 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has progressed smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered minimal teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved directly into the company and was advanced annually, attaining the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished taking on substantial dramatic roles, particularly the psychological angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.

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

Ball's next featured role is as himself, in an "In Conversation" series designed to offer intimate perspectives into a performer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a part, showing his cognitive process while execution. Even in lighter works, the test is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding technically," he notes.

The Mental Game and Post-Performance Feelings

How does he feel following a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get lost in the role, frequently I do feel embarrassed later. After an intense role I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"

In person, Ball is reflective, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. But a dance maker once remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite active usually, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for good change."

Early Motivations and Creative Inspirations

His tenacity originated in early setbacks. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" It was motivation to prove he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.

The next challenge is creating his own choreography. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the rules is compelling, but just acting 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 ideas from books, compositions, and painting.

Intimate Dance and Private Dynamic

He additionally is interested in staging dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past show. "You’re so near to the viewers. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"

Ball has created duets with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree 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 typically matched on stage at their main theater, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."

Regarding Instagram and Bodily Perception

On Instagram, followers can see videos from his projects and photos that highlight a athletic form. Does he mind that the engagement can be a bit focused on appearance? 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—something that can be seen on multiple ways.

Ball characterizes his early self as "eager for success." Did it met his expectations? "I feel very aware of how reality is a different reality to the dreams you had as a child," he reflects. He probably has another decade of dancing left. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."