Netflix has officially revealed the ensemble cast for their upcoming drama series Tiny Pretty Things which centers on the lives of ballet academy students. Lauren Holly (Designated Survivor), Kylie Jefferson (Davido’s Fall), Casimere Jollette (Dirty John), Daniela Norman (Cats), and Brennan Clost (The Next Step) have been cast as series regulars along with Michael Hsu Rosen (Jessica Jones), Damon J. Gillespie (The Society), Bayardo De Murguia (Shooter), Jess Salgueiro (The Boys), Barton Cowperthwaite (Fosse/Verdon), and Tory Trowbridge (American in Paris).
Based on the book by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton, Tiny Pretty Things is set in the world of an elite ballet academy and charts the rise and fall of young adults who live far from their homes, each standing on the verge of greatness or ruin. As Chicago’s only elite dance school, the Archer School of Ballet serves as the company school for the city’s renowned professional company: City Works Ballet. The Archer School is an oasis for an array of dancers: rich and poor, from north and south, and a range of backgrounds. Yet they all share a rare talent and passion for dance, a loyal sense of community… and when it comes to their dreams, no Plan B.
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Holly, Jefferson, Jollette, Norman, Clost, Rosen, Gillespie, De Murguia, Salgueiro, Cowperthwaite and Trowbridge will be portraying the roles of Monique, Neveah, Bette, June, Shane, Nabil, Caleb, Ramon, Isabel, Oren, and Delia, respectively. Their official character descriptions read as follows:
Monique – a former dancer turned The Archer School director. Driven by ambition and a true belief in ASB’s value, Monique holds unique power over the school, using her dark capacities not only to defend her institution but also to bring about the best in her students regardless of her means.
Neveah – the rebel with raw talent and fierce determination who looks to rise above her roots and find a future in the world of ballet Laurent without losing her unique and fiery approach to dance. Neveah is staring down the greatest opportunity of her life – a chance to be a student of the Archer School of Ballet as a last-minute replacement.
Bette – a ruthlessly perfect, supremely confident, ambitious “music box ballerina.” She’s rich but not entitled, works harder than anyone else -due in part to spending her life playing second fiddle to her older sister Delia.
June – a sweet and petite dancer raised by a strict businesswoman mother. The Archer School of Ballet is the only place she feels like she belongs. After what feels like a lifetime playing back-up, she is ready to earn her time in the spotlight, proving to her mother that ballet is where she belongs.
Shane – stacked and fiery, from a small town, he grew up tormented for loving dance and has become a hot-headed scrapper – and his family’s greatest hope.
Nabil – a man with the swagger of Baryshnikov and the cold eyes of a potential killer. This new recruit is worldly, strange, and has a wicked technique. Born in Malaysia before moving to Paris, Nabil comes with intimidating levels of power and potential.
Caleb – a lean and handsome dancer who uses his ready humor and undeniable talent, in order to mask his struggles with a profound loss – and a secret that could unravel the institution.
Ramon – a lean god with a deep baritone, Ramon is a former bad-boy dancer turned visionary choreographer. He’s not big on criticism, especially from students, which produces friction within the Archer School of Ballet and with his girlfriend and muse of the moment, Delia.
Isabel – a cop with a dancer’s ram-rod discipline from two tours of duty in Afghanistan before she traded in one uniform for another. With her ambition and keen moral compass, she’s uniquely qualified to search for the truth of what happened during a mysterious accident at the Academy.
Oren – a strapping prince of a man, wealth and good looks gave him great roles, Bette as a girlfriend, and primed him for success, but beneath this veneer lies crippling anxiety, a dysfunctional obsession with his body, and a need for physical perfection.
Delia – Bette’s older sister, and dancer of supreme caliber and beauty, Delia is the Whitlaw Family’s first prodigy, returning to Chicago after two years dancing abroad. With her newfound success, Delia relishes her new role as a diva, triumphantly returning to the school that scorned her when she was a student.
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The 10-episode series is written and executive produced by Michael MacLennan, who will also serve as the series’ showrunner. Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, Jordanna Fraiberg, and Deborah Henderson of Insurrection Media, Gary Fleder and Gabrielle Neimand of Mojo Films, and Carrie Mudd of Peacock Alley are all set as executive producers.
Tiny Pretty Things is scheduled to launch in 2020.
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