After years of fans demanding a plus-sized heroine, Disney responded with a short film about a young overweight ballet dancer with body dysmorphia.
The Short Circuit episode, which is directed by Hillary Bradfield, is called “Reflect.” It’s currently available on Disney+. In it, Bianca deals with being a plus-sized dancer.
Bianca’s teacher first checks her position at the barre, reminding her “Tight tummy! Long neck!” As the young dancer observes herself standing next to all the other thin ballet dancers, the mirror shatters as the plus-sized child grapples with body image. She emerges from this place of fractured glass by dancing and becoming more confident, eventually returning to the dance class with the other students.
An all-new Short Circuit Experimental Film has arrived! Stream “Reflect” and all the Short Circuit Experimental Films by Walt Disney Animation Studios artists now on @DisneyPlus. 🩰 🎆 pic.twitter.com/c0gw5U4ecc
— Disney Animation (@DisneyAnimation) September 14, 2022
“’Reflect’ is about body positivity,” Bradfield said of the project. “The idea for this short began thinking about my own body philosophy. I feel like I’m a very body positive person in principle, but when it’s on a personal level, it’s a lot harder to be body positive.”
She described choosing ballet as the setting, saying, “Telling this story from a dancer’s perspective seemed just natural and it’s part of the craft to be looking at your posture and checking things in the mirror. So it just seemed like a really good way to put her in that environment where she has to look at herself and she doesn’t want to.”
“When people watch this short, I hope that they can feel more positively about themselves and how they look, and feel OK about the tough parts of the journey,” Bradfield concluded. “You know, maybe sometimes you go to the dark place to get to the good place, and that just makes the good place that much more beautiful.”
Fans have mostly good things to say about “Reflect” and how the main character is plus sized.
“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!” one person shared.
“I saw this Disney short called Reflect and it emotionally tore me up,” another wrote. “It’s about a little plus size girl doing ballet and the mirrors start to swallow her up because of her body insecurity but she destroys them by dancing anyway.”
“THIS IS NOT A DRILL! Disney+ FINALLY made a short with a Plus Size lead! It’s called Reflect and it’s part of the Short Circuit short series. Let’s just say I was SOBBING,” a third person said.
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