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Within the quiet atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His carriage is naturally straight-backed, his arms muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. During performances, dancers can appear as powerful gods, yet frequently in person they are petite. Not so Ball, whose height is part of his popularity for heroic characters and partnering. Possessing fine features and intense eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.

A Seamless Rise to the Pinnacle

At 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced little ridicule for his early interest in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved straight into the troupe and was advanced annually, attaining the top rank of principal in 2018. He has relished tackling meaty characters, especially the psychological turmoil found in a famed choreographer's ballets.

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

Ball's upcoming featured role is in a talk, in an "Evening With" event aiming to offer intimate perspectives into a performer's art. He will guide the audience through a part, demonstrating his cognitive process during execution. Yet in more comedic works, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding technically," he notes.

The Mental Struggle and After the Show Emotions

How does he feel after a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the role, frequently I do feel embarrassed afterwards. After Mayerling I'm always like: God, what must people think?"

Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. But a choreographer previously observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite active usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for good change."

Formative Motivations and Artistic Influences

His tenacity stemmed from early setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "driven!" This became motivation to demonstrate 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 endeavor is creating his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the conventions 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 wants his work to be loaded with substance, drawing ideas from books, compositions, and painting.

Intimate Dance and Private Dynamic

He also favors presenting dance in smaller venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past show. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"

Ball has created duets with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like 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 notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."

On Social Media and Bodily Image

On social media, followers can see clips from his dance films and images that highlight a athletic form. Does he mind that the response can be somewhat objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on various ways.

Ball describes his early self as "desperate for success." Has it met his hopes? "I am conscious of how reality is a different thing to the aspirations you had as a young person," he muses. He likely has another decade of dancing ahead. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."