Starz has cast a foursome of professional dancers in its upcoming dysfunctional ballet drama, which now has the title “Flesh and Bone,” in addition to bringing on Ethan Stiefel, the artistic director of the Royal New Zealand Ballet and one of the stars of “Center Stage,” as a consultant and choreographer.
Former American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Irina Dvorovenko, current American Ballet Theatre soloist Sascha Radetsky (another “Center Stage” cast member), Ballet Arizona company dancer Raychel Diane Weiner and Emily Tyra (“Boardwalk Empire”) will all play supporting roles in the series. National auditions are underway for the lead role of “Claire Robbins,” a young ballet dancer with a troubled past who joins a prestigious New York ballet company.
“Flesh and Bone,” which is in development at the network, comes from “Breaking Bad” co-executive producer Moira Walley-Beckett (whose writing credits on the show include the episodes “Gliding Over All,” “Bug” and “Ozymandias”), and promises to explore the dark side of the ballet world. In addition to writing the series, Walley-Beckett (a former dancer herself) is executive producing it alongside Lawrence Bender (“Inglourious Basterds,” “Good Will Hunting”), John Melfi (“Sex and the City,” “House of Cards”) and Kevin Brown, whose family was the basis for the movie “The Turning Point.”
“The verisimilitude of the project is of paramount importance to me,” said Walley-Beckett. “I want to be able to capture dance on film with complete integrity, authenticity and freedom. Not only are the dancers we’ve cast thus far brilliant company level artists, but they’re also thrilling, intuitive actors. I’m inspired and optimistic about discovering the perfect ‘Claire.'”
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