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In the hushed atmosphere of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His carriage is effortlessly upright, his limbs defined beneath a plain tee. During performances, dancers can seem as mighty deities, yet frequently offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose height is part of his demand for heroic roles and pas de deux work. With fine features and intense eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.

An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle

At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has advanced smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his childhood interest in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated straight into the company and was promoted annually, attaining the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on 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."

Ball's upcoming starring appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series designed to offer intimate perspectives into a performer's art. He will guide the audience through a part, showing his mental workflow during execution. Yet in lighter works, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.

The Psychological Game and After the Show Feelings

What about after a show, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the role, quite often I do feel embarrassed afterwards. Following Mayerling I'm always like: God, what must people think?"

Offstage, Ball is reflective, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer once remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very active in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for positive change."

Early Drivers and Artistic Inspirations

His tenacity stemmed from early setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" This became motivation to prove he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.

An upcoming challenge is making his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the rules is compelling, but just pretending 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 Personal Dynamic

He additionally is interested in presenting dance in more intimate spaces. "It was just really exciting," 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 sweating.'"

Ball has created pieces with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a audacious lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They aren’t usually matched on stage at their home company, which is perhaps beneficial. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."

Regarding Instagram and Bodily Image

On social media, fans can see clips from his projects and images that highlight a sculpted form. Does he care that the engagement can be somewhat objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he explains. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on various levels.

Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Did it met his expectations? "I feel very aware of how reality is a separate thing to the dreams you made as a child," he reflects. He probably has about ten years of performing left. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."