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Within the hushed atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is effortlessly straight-backed, his limbs muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. During performances, dancers can seem as mighty gods, yet frequently in person they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his popularity for heroic roles and pas de deux work. With fine traits and intense eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.

A Seamless Ascent to the Top

Now 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has advanced smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced minimal ridicule for his early passion in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved directly into the company and was advanced annually, reaching the top rank of principal in 2018. He has relished tackling substantial dramatic roles, particularly the emotional angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.

"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."

Ball's upcoming featured role is as himself, in an "In Conversation" event aiming to offer intimate insights into a dancer's art. He will walk the crowd through a role, demonstrating his mental workflow during execution. Even in lighter ballets, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.

The Psychological Struggle and After the Show Emotions

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

Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a choreographer previously remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very energetic usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for good change."

Early Motivations and Creative Inspirations

Ball's determination stemmed from early experiences. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" It was fuel to demonstrate he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.

The next challenge is creating his own choreography. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging 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 wants his work to be filled with substance, drawing inspiration from books, music, and painting.

Intimate Dance and Personal Partnership

He additionally is interested in staging dance in smaller venues. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past experience. "You’re so near to the viewers. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"

Ball has made pieces with his partner, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of faith between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They aren’t typically paired on stage at their main theater, which might be beneficial. "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 Physical Perception

On Instagram, 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 multiple levels.

Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it lived up to his hopes? "I feel very aware of how reality is a separate thing to the aspirations you had as a young person," he muses. He likely has about decade of dancing ahead. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."