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Within the quiet atmosphere of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's posture is naturally straight-backed, his arms muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, dancers can seem as powerful deities, yet often in person they are petite. Not so Ball, whose height is one reason for his popularity for princely roles and pas de deux work. Possessing fine traits and intense eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.

A Seamless Rise to the Pinnacle

At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has progressed smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced little teasing for his childhood interest in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated directly into the troupe and was promoted annually, reaching the highest position of principal in 2018. He has loved tackling 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 upcoming starring appearance is as himself, in an "Evening With" series aiming to offer intimate insights into a dancer's craft. He will walk the audience through a part, showing his cognitive process while performance. Yet in more comedic ballets, the test is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding technically," he notes.

The Mental Game and Post-Performance Emotions

How does he feel after a show, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the character, frequently I do feel self-conscious later. After an intense role I'm always thinking: Wow, what must people think?"

In person, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer previously observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite energetic usually, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for good change."

Early Drivers and Creative Inspirations

Ball's tenacity originated in youthful experiences. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "driven!" It was motivation to prove he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.

An upcoming challenge is creating his own choreography. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the conventions is interesting, 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 substance, drawing ideas from books, music, and art.

Intimate Dance and Personal Partnership

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

Ball has made pieces with his girlfriend, 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 resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple aren’t typically paired on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."

On Social Media and Bodily Perception

On Instagram, followers can see videos from his projects and photos that highlight a athletic form. Does he care that the response can be a bit focused on appearance? 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—an object that can be interpreted on various levels.

Ball characterizes his younger self as "eager for success." Has it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a separate thing to the dreams you made as a young person," he muses. He probably has another ten years of dancing ahead. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."