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In the hushed atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His posture is effortlessly straight-backed, his limbs muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, dancers can seem like powerful gods, yet often offstage they are petite. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is part of his demand for princely roles and pas de deux work. Possessing delicate features and piercing eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.

A Seamless Ascent to the Pinnacle

At 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced little ridicule for his childhood interest in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved directly into the troupe and was advanced annually, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished taking on substantial dramatic roles, particularly the psychological angst found in a famed choreographer's ballets.

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

Ball's next featured appearance is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" series designed to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a dancer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a role, demonstrating his cognitive process during performance. Even in more comedic works, the challenge is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding technically," he states.

The Mental Game and After the Show Emotions

What about after a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get lost in the role, quite often I do feel self-conscious afterwards. After Mayerling I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"

In person, Ball is reflective, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. But a dance maker once remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite active usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."

Early Motivations and Artistic Inspirations

Ball's tenacity stemmed from early setbacks. Not doing well in contests at school made him "vengeful!" This became fuel to prove he could succeed. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.

The next endeavor is creating his own choreography. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the conventions 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 loaded with substance, drawing inspiration from literature, music, and painting.

Close-Up Dance and Personal Partnership

He also favors staging dance in more intimate venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past experience. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"

Ball has created pieces 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 daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They aren’t usually matched on stage at their main theater, which might be healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he admits. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."

Regarding Instagram and Bodily Perception

On social media, followers can see clips from his projects and photos that highlight a sculpted physique. Does he mind that the engagement can be somewhat focused on appearance? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he explains. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on various levels.

Ball characterizes his early self as "eager for success." Has it met his expectations? "I feel very aware of how life is a separate reality to the dreams you had as a young person," he reflects. He likely has another decade of performing left. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."