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Within the quiet ambiance of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His posture is effortlessly upright, his limbs muscular beneath a simple tee. On stage, ballet dancers can appear as mighty gods, yet frequently offstage they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose height is part of his demand for heroic roles and partnering. With delicate features and piercing eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.

An Apparent Ascent to the Top

Now 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has advanced smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered little teasing for his early passion in ballet. Joining the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated directly into the troupe and was promoted annually, attaining the top rank of principal in 2018. He has loved tackling meaty dramatic roles, particularly the emotional angst found in a famed choreographer's ballets.

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

Ball's upcoming starring role is as himself, 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 cognitive process while execution. Yet in more comedic works, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he notes.

The Mental Game and After the Show Emotions

What about following a show, when he has succeeded? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to squeeze all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the role, frequently I do feel embarrassed afterwards. After Mayerling I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"

Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. But a dance maker once observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very active usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an catalyst for positive change."

Early Motivations and Creative Inspirations

Ball's determination stemmed from youthful experiences. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "driven!" It was fuel 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 fanatical," he remembers.

An upcoming endeavor is making his own dance works. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the rules 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 meaning, drawing inspiration from literature, compositions, and painting.

Intimate Dance and Private Dynamic

He also is interested in presenting dance in more intimate spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous show. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"

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

Regarding Instagram and Physical Perception

On Instagram, followers can see clips from his dance films and photos that showcase a athletic physique. Does he mind 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 protective about it," he explains. He relates it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be seen on multiple levels.

Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how life is a separate thing to the dreams you had as a child," he muses. He likely has about decade of performing left. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."