Flesh and Bone

Flesh and Bone is an American drama miniseries that originally aired on Starz in November 2015. It explores the gritty, highly competitive world of professional ballet in New York City, following a young dancer named Claire. The show delves into the dark realities and physical tolls hidden behind the glamorous facade of the ballet industry.

The series was developed and written by Moira Walley-Beckett, who is best known for her acclaimed work on the AMC series Breaking Bad. Renowned ballet dancer and choreographer Ethan Stiefel served as the choreography consultant. Their collaboration ensured the dance sequences maintained an authentic, professional-level technique.

Since it was originally broadcast as a Starz original program, Flesh and Bone is available to stream on the Starz platform. The miniseries consists of exactly eight episodes. Because it was conceived as a self-contained limited series, it concludes definitively without a second season.

The show is heavily praised for its raw and often dark depiction of the professional ballet industry, highlighting extreme body image pressures and intense rivalries. The inclusion of actual ballet professionals, including Ethan Stiefel, grounds the choreography in reality. However, some critics noted that the narrative amplifies real-world struggles into heightened television melodrama.