Disney’s New Short, ‘Reflect,’ Features Plus Size Heroine

The second round of Short Circuit short films hit Disney+ recently, and one of them, in particular, caught the attention of fans everywhere. Meet Bianca, a young ballet dancer struggling to overcome issues of body image that often define the art of her passion, ballet. The character appears to represent an experience that most of us can relate to, not entirely fitting the mold for something we are passionate about. Maybe you were the shortest basketball player on the team or the incredible singer who was too shy to perform. No matter how you break it down, it’s a story about overcoming boundaries, both those of society and the ones we create for ourselves.

Disney has been focused on diversity for the last few years, with beautiful stories coming to the spotlight of sisterly love, cultural storytelling, traditions, and emotional instability. Now Disney is on track to break through another stereotype with Bianca, our plus-sized heroine. Now, I must admit, I have never been a fan of the term “plus sized”; it implies something other than “normal,” which seems counter-intuitive to me. Nonetheless, Bianca is here to tackle body image awareness while breaking through her fear and self-doubt, and everything about her is beautiful. You can watch her story, ‘Reflect’, now on Disney+