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Within the hushed atmosphere of a lounge near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's posture is effortlessly straight-backed, his arms muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, dancers can seem like mighty gods, yet often offstage they are petite. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his demand for heroic roles and partnering. With fine traits and piercing eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.

An Apparent Ascent to the Top

Now 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered minimal teasing for his childhood interest in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated directly into the troupe and was advanced annually, attaining the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished tackling meaty dramatic roles, particularly the psychological turmoil 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 appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series aiming to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a performer's craft. He will walk the audience through a role, demonstrating his cognitive workflow while execution. Yet in lighter works, the challenge is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he notes.

The Mental Game and Post-Performance Emotions

How does he feel after a performance, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he admits. "But 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 Mayerling I'm always like: God, what must people think?"

In person, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and quick to laugh at himself. But a dance maker previously remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite energetic in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for positive change."

Early Motivations and Artistic Inspirations

Ball's determination originated in youthful setbacks. Not doing well in contests at school made him "driven!" This became fuel to prove he could succeed. 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 endeavor is creating his own choreography. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the rules is compelling, but just acting 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 meaning, drawing ideas from literature, compositions, and painting.

Close-Up Dance and Personal Partnership

He additionally 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 thinking: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"

Ball has made pieces with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The level of faith between them is clear. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They are not usually matched on stage at their main theater, 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 favorite supporter."

On Social Media and Bodily Perception

On Instagram, followers can see clips from his dance films and images that showcase a sculpted physique. Does he care that the engagement can be somewhat objectifying? Not particularly. "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 seen on various levels.

Ball characterizes his early self as "desperate for success." Did it lived up to his expectations? "I feel very aware of how life is a different reality to the dreams you made as a young person," he reflects. He likely has another ten years of performing ahead. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."