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Within the hushed ambiance of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His carriage is naturally upright, his limbs muscular beneath a simple tee. On stage, ballet dancers can appear as mighty deities, yet frequently in person they are petite. Not so Ball, whose height is part of his popularity for heroic characters and partnering. With delicate features and piercing eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.

A Seamless Ascent to the Top

At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered minimal ridicule for his early passion in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated directly into the company and was advanced each year, attaining the top rank of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved tackling substantial characters, particularly the emotional turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.

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

His upcoming starring appearance is as himself, in an "Evening With" series aiming to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a dancer's craft. He will walk the audience through a role, demonstrating his mental workflow during execution. Even in lighter ballets, the challenge is significant. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.

The Psychological Struggle and Post-Performance Emotions

How does he feel following a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the role, quite often I do feel embarrassed afterwards. After an intense role I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"

In person, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker once observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite energetic usually, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an catalyst for good change."

Formative Motivations and Creative Influences

His determination originated in youthful experiences. Not excelling in contests at school made him "driven!" This became fuel to prove he could succeed. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit obsessive," he remembers.

The next endeavor is making his own dance works. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the rules is compelling, 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 meaning, drawing ideas from books, music, and painting.

Close-Up Dance and Private Partnership

He additionally is interested in presenting dance in smaller venues. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous show. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re perspiring.'"

Ball has made pieces with his partner, 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 are not typically paired on stage at their main theater, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he admits. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."

Regarding Instagram and Bodily Image

On Instagram, followers can see clips from his projects and images that highlight a sculpted form. Does he mind that the response can be a bit objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very protective about it," he states. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on multiple ways.

Ball characterizes his younger self as "desperate for success." Has it met his hopes? "I am conscious of how life is a different thing to the aspirations you made as a child," he muses. He likely has another decade of dancing left. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."