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Within the hushed atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's prestigious dance company, Matthew Ball orders a mint tea. The dancer's carriage is effortlessly straight-backed, his arms muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, ballet dancers can seem as powerful deities, yet frequently offstage they are petite. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is part of his demand for heroic characters and pas de deux work. With fine traits and piercing eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.

An Apparent Rise to the Pinnacle

At 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has progressed smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he encountered little teasing for his childhood interest in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated directly into the company and was promoted each year, attaining the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has loved taking on substantial characters, particularly the psychological angst found in a famed choreographer's ballets.

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

His upcoming featured appearance is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" series aiming to offer behind-the-scenes perspectives into a dancer's craft. He will guide the audience through a part, showing his cognitive workflow while performance. Even in lighter ballets, the challenge is significant. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest technically," he notes.

The Mental Game and Post-Performance Feelings

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

Offstage, Ball is thoughtful, mild-mannered, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker once remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite active in general, but I do have a melancholy streak," he reveals. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for positive change."

Formative Motivations and Artistic Inspirations

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

An upcoming endeavor is creating his own choreography. In his view, "there's nothing wrong with." "Breaking the conventions is compelling, but just acting 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 books, music, and art.

Close-Up Dance and Private Dynamic

He also is interested in presenting dance in more intimate spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous show. "You’re so near to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a person, and they’re perspiring.'"

Ball has created pieces with his girlfriend, fellow lead dancer Mayara Magri. The degree 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." The couple aren’t typically matched on stage at their home company, which is perhaps healthy. "We’re both quite determined people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he notes. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s biggest supporter."

Regarding Instagram and Bodily Image

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

Ball describes his younger self as "eager for success." Has it lived up to his expectations? "I am conscious of how reality is a separate reality to the aspirations you made as a child," he muses. He probably has another decade of dancing ahead. "I suppose in the future, I want to be a bit more kind with myself."