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In the hushed ambiance of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's posture is naturally straight-backed, his limbs defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can seem as mighty deities, yet frequently in person they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is part of his demand for princely characters and pas de deux work. Possessing delicate features and piercing eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.

An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle

At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal ridicule for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated directly into the company and was promoted annually, reaching the highest position of principal in 2018. He has loved taking on meaty dramatic roles, particularly the emotional turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.

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

Ball's upcoming starring appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" event aiming to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a dancer's art. He will walk the audience through a part, showing his mental workflow while execution. Yet in lighter works, the test is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he notes.

The Mental Game and After the Show Feelings

How does he feel after a performance, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the role, frequently I do feel embarrassed later. Following Mayerling I'm always like: Wow, what must people think?"

In person, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. But a choreographer once remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite energetic in general, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for positive change."

Early Drivers and Artistic Inspirations

His determination originated in early experiences. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "driven!" This became fuel to demonstrate he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.

The next challenge is creating his own dance works. In his view, "organic movement has value." "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 aims his work to be loaded with meaning, drawing inspiration from books, compositions, and art.

Intimate Dance and Private Dynamic

He also favors presenting dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous show. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"

Ball has created duets with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple are not usually paired 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. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."

On Social Media and Physical Perception

On Instagram, followers can see videos from his projects and images that highlight a athletic physique. Does he care that the engagement can be a bit focused on appearance? Not really. "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—an object that can be seen on various levels.

Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Did it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how life is a different reality to the aspirations you made as a child," he reflects. He likely has about decade of performing left. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."