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In the quiet ambiance of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. His carriage is naturally straight-backed, his limbs muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. During performances, dancers can seem as mighty gods, yet often offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his popularity for heroic characters and partnering. Possessing delicate features and intense eyes, there's a touch of a brooding actor about him.

A Seamless Rise to the Top

At 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has progressed seamlessly. Raised in Liverpool, he faced little teasing for his childhood passion in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved straight into the company and was promoted annually, reaching the top rank of principal in 2018. He has loved taking on substantial dramatic roles, especially the emotional turmoil found in a famed choreographer's works.

"Your breath is short, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."

His next featured appearance is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event aiming to offer intimate insights into a dancer's art. He will walk the audience through a role, showing his cognitive workflow while performance. Even in more comedic works, the challenge is significant. "A classic ballet is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.

The Mental Struggle and Post-Performance Emotions

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

In person, Ball is thoughtful, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. But a choreographer previously observed on a "sense of suffering in him." Is there? "I'm quite energetic usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for good change."

Formative Drivers and Artistic Influences

Ball's determination originated in early experiences. Not excelling in contests at school made him "driven!" It was fuel to demonstrate he could achieve. Discovering the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.

An upcoming endeavor is creating his own dance works. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking 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 filled with substance, drawing ideas from books, music, and painting.

Intimate Dance and Personal Partnership

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

Ball has made duets with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree of trust between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." The couple are not usually matched on stage at their main theater, which might be healthy. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he admits. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite supporter."

On Social Media and Physical Image

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

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