10 Best TV Shows & Movies Like Flesh And Bone

Moira Walley-Beckett’s Flesh and Bone mini-series isn’t just for ballet enthusiasts because its themes run much deeper than the elegant sport. Although it’s centered around a young group of hopeful ballet students fighting tooth and nail to make it big, it’s a psychological drama that focuses on a troubled woman named Claire Robbins (Sarah Hay). Once Claire flees to New York City to audition for a spot in the American Ballet Company, her turbulent life is fully displayed.

Flesh and Bone uncovers the underbelly of society in more ways than one and follows Claire into her newfound life while she grapples with her cutthroat rivals. The mini-series is a hard one to follow up, and since it’s been several years since season one premiered, fans are probably eager to find similar shows and movies. Luckily, there are several movies and TV shows that are similar to the ballet-centric drama.

10 TV Show: Dance Academy – Available On Amazon Prime

Dance Academy ran from 2010 to 2013 and was directed by Samantha Strauss and Joanna Werner. The family drama centers on an Australian ballet academy in Sydney and is narrated by Tara Webster (Xenia Goodwin), a first-year student.

The series shows Webster’s journey into the world of ballet, while she excels not only in her desired sport but in other dance techniques as well. Along the way, she makes friends with the other students, who each have their own collective hardships to work through.

9 Movie: The Company – Available To Rent On Amazon Prime

Neve Campbell is most known for her Scream or Wild Things roles, but in 2003, she changed courses and starred in the drama romance, The Company. The ballet drama is among Campbell’s best roles to date and takes an inside look at the world of ballet. While the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago students shares the love of ballet, they form bonds with one another outside of the studio as well.

Campbell plays Loretta ‘Ry’ Ryan is an accomplished dancer who’s on the verge of becoming a principal dancer in the fictional company.

8 TV Show: The Girlfriend Experience – Available On Starz

The Girlfriend Experience has nothing to do with ballet, but it is an enthralling drama that’s based on Steven Soderbergh’s 2009 movie of the same name. The anthology series is based in Washington D.C. and centers on a woman named Christine Reade (Riley Keough), who offers wealthy men the “girlfriend experience.”

While her services are profitable, at first, men seem to become less interested. Leading up to the 2008 presidential election, the show also focuses on the financial crisis and how it affects society. The Girlfriend Experience is one of the hidden gems on Starz that should watched, immediately.

7 Movie: Black Swan – Available To Rent On Amazon Prime

In 2010, Darren Aronofsky released the drama thriller, Black Swan. The movie is unlike others and has a deep psychological tone that will stay with viewers well after the credits show.

Natalie Portman stars as Nina Sayers, a ballerina who strives to be as perfect as possible. Every corner of her life is consumed with ballet, and while she attends one of the best companies in the world, it’s not enough. Black Swan is a great drama and one of Portman’s best roles to date.

6 TV Show: Breaking Pointe – Available To Buy On Amazon Prime Video

The Breaking Pointe TV series only has two seasons, but it has earned a cult following for its unfiltered look into Ballet West, one of the most competitive ballet companies in the United States.

The series shows the cutthroat world behind the glitz and glamour and what it takes to be on top. If those interested in ballet are looking for grit, beautiful costumes, and a dedicated bunch of people, The Breaking Pointe is the show to watch.

5 Movie: Center Stage – Available To Rent On Starz

Center Stage is one of the best movies about ballet to come out of the 2000s and it has aged quite well. Of course, like all movies, there are a few confusing things fans still want answers to, but overall, it’s a solid movie about the trials and tribulations of the ballet world.

The story specifically follows a young woman named Jodi Sawyer (Amanda Schull) and fellow ballet students at the American Ballet Company. While Jodi has her own insecurities at the academy, those around her also have theirs, despite their outward confidence.

4 TV Show: Tiny Pretty Things – Available On Netflix

Tiny Pretty Things is a relatively new TV series that focuses on an elite ballet academy and its students. The promising young men and women rise and fall in the ranks while being far from home and dealing with their personal lives.

The academy is located in Chicago, and while the show centers on the students, it also focuses on the teachers, administrators, and benefactors that revolve around the school. Fun fact: all of the performances are done by the actors instead of relying on stunt doubles.

3 Movie: I, Tonya – Available On Hulu

I, Tonya, is based on the real-life story of Tonya Harding, a controversial figure skater that competed in the 1990s. Margot Robbie stars as Harding, and the biographical comedy focuses on the life of Harding which ultimately leads to her demise after the 1994 attack on her rival, Nancy Kerrigan.

Of course, the movie is loosely based on facts and paints Harding as the victim instead of the villain. I, Tonya, is an inside look at the competitive world of figure skating and what those on top will do to win the gold medal.

2 TV Show: Sweetbitter – Available On Fubo TV & Starz

Starz released a TV series in 2018 called Sweetbitter, directed by Stephanie Danler, that follows a young woman named Tess (Ella Purnell) who moved to New York City.

Tess finds a job at a well-known restaurant downtown and is introduced into a world of drugs, sex, love, and fine dining. She is clearly out of her element and the show follows her life and the changes she’s going through. And while Sweetbitter isn’t about a ballet dancer, it has a similar story of a young woman wanting to pave her own way in the big city.

1 Movie: Neon Demon – Available On Amazon Prime

The Neon Demon is a horror-thriller about an aspiring model named Jesse (Elle Fanning) who has just moved to Los Angeles, California. It’s here where she’s thrust into the fabulous world of modeling and the connection she meets along the way to rise to the top.

Jealousy and competitiveness are prevalent in this world, and the other models will do whatever it takes to knock Jesse off her newfound pedestal, giving it some strong similarities to Flesh and Bone.