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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 naturally straight-backed, his arms defined beneath a simple tee. On stage, dancers can appear like mighty deities, yet often offstage they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose height is one reason for his popularity for princely characters and pas de deux work. Possessing delicate traits and intense eyes, there's a touch of Robert Pattinson about him.

An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle

Now 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has progressed smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered little teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the company and was promoted each year, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on substantial characters, especially the psychological turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.

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

His upcoming starring role is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" series designed to offer intimate perspectives into a dancer's art. He will guide the audience through a role, demonstrating his mental process during performance. Even in lighter ballets, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.

The Psychological Game and Post-Performance Emotions

How does he feel following a show, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to extract all the juice out of it, and get lost in the role, frequently I do feel embarrassed later. Following 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 "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite energetic usually, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for good change."

Formative Motivations and Creative Inspirations

His tenacity stemmed from early setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "driven!" This became motivation to demonstrate he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.

The next endeavor is creating his own dance works. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Challenging 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 aims his work to be filled with substance, drawing inspiration from books, compositions, and painting.

Close-Up Dance and Private Dynamic

He additionally is interested in presenting dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a past experience. "You’re so close to the viewers. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re sweating.'"

Ball has made duets with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." The couple are not typically matched 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. "But I feel like we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader."

Regarding Instagram and Bodily Perception

On Instagram, fans can see videos from his projects and images that showcase 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 protective about it," he states. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—an object that can be interpreted on various levels.

Ball describes his early self as "desperate for success." Has it lived up to his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a separate thing to the aspirations you had as a young person," he reflects. He probably has about ten years of performing ahead. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."