'Disney' presented for the first time a character with different dimensions than what we are used to seeing all these years. A plus-size ballerina named Bianca struggles to find confidence and manage her body dysmorphia.
In the 85-year history of the well-known film company, "Disney", it has sometimes used plus-size characters only in the roles of ugly characters or even in sporadic ones, so the fans in this case expressed themselves very enthusiastic about this change.
The short film, titled 'Reflect', presents the story of a young ballerina who struggles with herself, overcoming doubt and fear and channeling her inner strength and power.
"Reflect" is released as part of Disney's "Short Circuit" series, which includes various experimental films.
Bianca attends her ballet class, along with her (very skinny) classmates and an instructor. As she looks into the mirror—and at her own body—the mirror cracks and the background fades. Many fans are interpreting this sequence to indicate that Bianca experiences body dysmorphia.
As it's known, body dysmorphia " is a mental health condition in which you can't stop thinking about one or more defects, or perceived defects, in your appearance - a flaw that seems small or you can't seen by others".
The state of constant thinking can lead to an intense focus on appearance, frequent mirror checking (body check) and grooming for many hours each day.
This kind of complex and honest representation of the real-life pressures experienced by many young women is somewhat groundbreaking for Disney, as the company often portrays characters with this body shape as negative or even sporadic, while princesses and heroines are usually extremely thin (though this has, of course, begun to change with the introduction of characters like Moana and the "Encanto" siblings Luisa and Mirabel, who all have more realistic and varied body shapes.)
Bianca's story has influenced millions of fans on social media, and many people even shared their connection to the story on TikTok.
"Growing up I was always the biggest girl in my ballet classes. I would have given anything to have told myself this a few years ago and said 'everything was going to be fine'" she writes one of the commentators.
