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In the quiet atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His posture is naturally upright, his limbs defined beneath a plain white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can appear as powerful deities, yet often offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is part of his popularity for princely characters and pas de deux work. With fine features and piercing eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.

A Seamless Rise to the Top

At 31, Ball is experiencing the peak of a career that has advanced seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced little ridicule for his early interest in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he moved straight into the company and was promoted annually, reaching the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished tackling meaty dramatic roles, particularly the psychological 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 starring appearance is in a talk, in an "Evening With" event aiming to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a dancer's craft. He will guide the crowd through a role, demonstrating his cognitive process during performance. Even in more comedic ballets, the test is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding technically," he notes.

The Mental Struggle and Post-Performance Feelings

What about following a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he says. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get immersed in the role, quite often I do feel self-conscious later. After Mayerling I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"

Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer previously observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I am very energetic in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for good change."

Early Drivers and Creative Influences

Ball's tenacity originated in youthful setbacks. Not excelling in competitions at school made him "vengeful!" It was fuel to demonstrate he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit obsessive," he recalls.

The next challenge is making his own choreography. For Ball, "there's nothing wrong with." "Challenging the conventions is interesting, but just pretending that they’re not a thing any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He aims his work to be loaded with substance, drawing inspiration from literature, compositions, and painting.

Close-Up Performance and Personal Partnership

He additionally favors staging dance in smaller venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a past experience. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were thinking: 'That’s a human, and they’re sweating.'"

Ball has created duets 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 audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple are not usually paired on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps healthy. "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."

Regarding Instagram and Bodily Image

On social media, fans can see clips from his projects and photos that showcase a sculpted physique. Does he care that the engagement can be somewhat objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He compares it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on multiple levels.

Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Did it met his hopes? "I feel very aware of how life is a different reality to the dreams you had as a young person," he reflects. He likely has another decade of performing ahead. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."