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In the hushed ambiance of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is effortlessly upright, his arms muscular beneath a simple white T-shirt. During performances, ballet dancers can seem like powerful deities, yet often in person they are petite. Not so Ball, whose height is part of his demand for princely characters and pas de deux work. With delicate traits and intense eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.

A Seamless Rise to the Top

At 31, Ball is enjoying the crest of a career that has progressed smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered little teasing for his early passion in ballet. Entering the Royal Ballet School at 11, he graduated straight into the company and was promoted annually, reaching the top rank of principal in 2018. He has loved tackling meaty dramatic roles, particularly the psychological turmoil found in Kenneth MacMillan's works.

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

Ball's next featured appearance is as himself, in an "Evening With" series aiming to offer intimate insights into a performer's art. He will walk the audience through a part, showing his cognitive process during execution. Yet in lighter ballets, the test is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest technically," he states.

The Mental Game and Post-Performance Feelings

What about after a show, when he has pulled it off? "It's pretty good," he admits. "But because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the character, quite often I do feel embarrassed afterwards. Following an intense role I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"

In person, Ball is reflective, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker previously observed on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very energetic in general, but I do have a dark side," he reveals. "I kind of enjoy negativity sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for positive change."

Formative Motivations and Creative Inspirations

His tenacity stemmed from early experiences. Not excelling in contests at school made him "driven!" This became motivation 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 compelling, but just acting 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 loaded with meaning, drawing inspiration from books, compositions, and art.

Close-Up Performance and Personal Dynamic

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

Ball has made duets with his girlfriend, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of faith between them is evident. "We tried it out on the beach first," he says of a daring lift. "It was like Dirty Dancing." They aren’t typically 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 biggest supporter."

Regarding Instagram and Bodily Perception

On Instagram, followers can see clips from his dance films and images that highlight a sculpted physique. Does he care that the engagement can be a bit focused on appearance? 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 viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be interpreted on various ways.

Ball describes his early self as "desperate for success." Did it met his expectations? "I feel very aware of how life is a different thing to the dreams you had as a child," he muses. He likely has another ten years of performing left. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."