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Within the hushed ambiance of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is naturally upright, his arms defined beneath a simple white T-shirt. During performances, dancers can seem as mighty deities, yet often offstage they are petite. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his popularity for heroic roles and pas de deux work. Possessing fine traits and piercing eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.

An Apparent Rise to the Top

Now 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his childhood interest in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved directly into the company and was advanced annually, reaching the top rank of principal in 2018. He has relished tackling meaty dramatic roles, especially the emotional angst found in a famed choreographer's works.

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

His upcoming starring role is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event aiming to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a dancer's craft. He will walk the audience through a part, showing his cognitive process during performance. Yet in more comedic works, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest technically," he notes.

The Mental Struggle and Post-Performance Emotions

What about after a performance, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get lost in the role, quite often I do feel self-conscious later. After an intense role I'm always like: God, what must people think?"

Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, 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 dark side," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for positive change."

Early Motivations and Creative Inspirations

Ball's determination originated in youthful setbacks. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "driven!" This became motivation to prove he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.

An upcoming challenge is creating his own dance works. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the conventions is interesting, but just acting that they’re not a reality any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He wants his work to be filled with substance, drawing ideas from books, music, and painting.

Intimate Performance and Private Dynamic

He additionally is interested in staging dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past experience. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"

Ball has made pieces with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They aren’t usually paired 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 cheerleader."

Regarding Instagram and Physical Image

On Instagram, fans can see clips from his projects and images that showcase a sculpted form. Does he care that the response can be a bit focused on appearance? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he explains. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on various ways.

Ball characterizes his early self as "desperate for success." Did it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how life is a different thing to the dreams you made as a child," he reflects. He probably has about ten years of performing left. "I suppose in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."