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Within the quiet atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His posture is effortlessly upright, his arms defined beneath a simple white T-shirt. During performances, dancers can seem as powerful deities, yet often in person they are petite. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is part of his demand for heroic characters and partnering. With delicate 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 smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced minimal teasing for his early passion in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated straight into the troupe and was promoted annually, reaching the highest position of principal in 2018. He has relished taking on meaty dramatic roles, particularly the emotional angst found in a famed choreographer's works.

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

His next featured appearance is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" series aiming to offer intimate insights into a dancer's craft. He will guide the audience through a part, showing his cognitive process while performance. Even in more comedic works, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding technically," he notes.

The Psychological Game and After the Show Feelings

How does he feel after a performance, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to squeeze 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?"

In person, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer previously observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very active in general, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for positive change."

Formative Motivations and Creative Influences

Ball's determination originated in early experiences. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" This became motivation to prove he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.

An upcoming endeavor is making his own choreography. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the conventions is interesting, 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 loaded with substance, drawing ideas from literature, music, and painting.

Close-Up Dance and Private Dynamic

He additionally is interested in presenting dance in more intimate spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past experience. "You’re so near to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: '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 audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple are not typically matched on stage at their home company, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."

On Social Media and Bodily Image

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

Ball describes his early self as "desperate for success." Has it lived up to his hopes? "I am conscious of how life is a separate reality to the dreams you had as a child," he muses. He likely has another ten years of dancing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."