Ballet dancer lands lead role in Starz series ‘Flesh and Bone’

“Flesh and Bone,” a new drama series set in the world of professional ballet, has landed at the cable network Starz, which has hired a real-life ballet dancer for the lead role. Sarah Hay, an American dancer who has performed with the Semperoper Ballet in Dresden, Germany, will play the part of Claire, a disturbed young performer who joins a New York ballet company.

The series is expected to begin airing on Starz in 2015. Former “Breaking Bad” producer Moira Walley-Beckett is the creative force behind the show. Lawrence Bender, who has produced many of Quentin Tarantino’s movies and who is a former dancer himself, is serving as an executive producer for the series.

Hay won’t be the only professional dancer involved with the series. Ethan Stiefel, who was a longtime principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre in New York, will serve as choreographer and a consultant on the show.

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Two past and present ABT dancers are also joining the cast -- former principal dancer Irina Dvorovenko and current soloist Sascha Radetsky.

“Flesh and Bone” follows the emotional and professional journey of Claire, a talented and ambitious dancer who has deep psychological issues. The show is said to be a dark and gritty look at the world of professional ballet.

The world of ballet has served as a backdrop for movies and TV shows as diverse as “The Turning Point,” “Center Stage” and “Black Swan,” as well as the canceled ABC Family series “Bunheads.”

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