Disney is making a pretty big statement with a pretty small film. In one of the newest shorts from Disney Animation Studios, they will hit a massive subject in just 2 to 3 minutes.
The studio will soon release “Reflect,” a new Disney short that will focus on body image and body positivity. The heroine is a plus-size ballerina named Bianca.
She takes a journey in the film that begins with Bianca dancing alone in a ballet studio where she joyfully practices her moves. Her head is high and her face is shining.
But when the other students come in with the instructor, she fades away and becomes self-conscious and unsure of herself.
She moves to the mirror with her classmates, but she keeps her head down and won’t look. The only words in the entire film are from the instructor who walks by Bianca and says, “Tight tummy, long neck.”
The story continues in the mind of our young heroine. We don’t want to spoil the film for you, but what takes place next is dark and even scary.
That is, of course, until Bianca digs down deep and finds within herself the courage to take a deep breath and then begin dancing again. When she points her toe, the music shifts and she begins to dance with greater and greater confidence.
Eventually, she leaps into a plié at the barre, smiles at her reflection, and is no longer afraid to look in the mirror.
The message of the film is that Bianca finds body positivity in using her body for the thing that she loves the most. It is not about what her body looks like, but how she can feel about it.
How many girls needed to see this Disney short before they quit the ballet? How many adults need to see this film to gain the courage to really see themselves again?
16 year old me needed this Disney short before I quit ballet because I didn’t want to be the fat girl in class anymore. I’m glad little ones will have this. 10/10 for Reflect! https://t.co/WAqEt3Tdpa
— Meg Potter (@MeganPotter_) October 26, 2022
REFLECT on Disney+ (Series: Short Circuit). Do recommend for anyone that struggles with the image they see in the mirror. So, everyone. But this is especially for those of us that society shuns for having a body that doesn’t match the alleged “perfect” image. #bodypositivity pic.twitter.com/fxr4gy9EPT
— Katie. (@vintage_katie_) October 27, 2022
