Starz Picks Up 'Gritty' Ballet Drama, 'Flesh and Bone'

Credit: Starz

If Black Swan taught us anything, it's that a drama centered around the world of ballet can actually be fairly gritty. Of course, that was damn near four years ago, so one wonders why TV networks waited so long to capitalize. But I suppose that isn't a topic I should be wondering about anymore, now that Starz is getting into the ballet business.

The network has picked up Flesh and Bone, a drama that is described as “dark and gritty”. The show, created by Emmy-winning Breaking Bad writer Moira Walley-Beckett, intends to to “unflinchingly explore the dysfunction and glamour of the ballet world” through the perspective of Claire, a young dancer who must contend with "a distinctly troubled past just as she joins a prestigious ballet company in New York."

In addition to Walley-Beckett, the series has drafted some impressive talent in the form of Sarah Hay, Irina Dvorovenko, Sascha Radetsky, and Ethan Stiefel. Hay, the young actress cast in the lead role of Claire, is a School of American Ballet/American Ballet Theatre-trained dancer, while co-star Dvorovenko is a former American Ballet Theatre principal. Radetsky, another member of the talented ensemble, is a current ABT soloist, while ABT alum Stiefel is onboard as the show's choreographer. All in all, this group should bring a welcome sense of vitality and authenticity to the series.

“From the beginning, we all agreed this project could not go forward unless we found a world-class dancer who had the ability to convey the widest range of emotions that Moira has written,” said Starz CEO Chris Albrecht in a statement. “This is one of the most challenging and dynamic characters I have ever seen and am thrilled to say we found our ‘Claire’ in Ms. Hay.”

No word on when the show will premiere, but this is already looking to be one of the most anticipated projects in the Starz pipeline.

Via: TVLine