Disneys Animation Evolution

Ever since Disney started animating full length feature films there has been a common trend in their choice of lead characters. These characters have been young women or girls, and are often royalty. These characters have served as role models for many generations of young women, and have been continuously evolving over the years. This paper will examine the evolution of Disney’s heroines by examining past and present heroines, as well as speculate on what type of heroines Disney’s future projects may feature. This exploration will involve examining two heroines that are often termed to be “classic” and a two that are often termed to be “modern”. We will explore these characters styles of animation, physical appearance and temperaments, personal goals and situations and how these characteristics have affected or could effect viewers. The two “classical” heroines discussed in this paper are Snow White and Aurora, otherwise known as Sleeping Beauty or Briar Rose. The animators who developed the physical appearance of these two characters used professional dancers as models for their characters. Snow White and Aurora both display similarities in their life situations and personality traits. They are featured as the main character in their respective stories and they are both princesses who are victimized. They are caucasian, young and beautiful, and naive. They both wait for their “true love”, to come and save them from their crisis. Their “true love”, in both stories, are mysterious and heroic princes who, among other admirable qualities, are avid horse riders. The feature film “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” that was released in 1937. As the very first Disney princess and being the lead heroine in the first full length feature by Walt Disney, Snow White became the base mold for all of Disney’s future heroines. Being the first princess meant she was also basically a rough sketch that would be improved upon with each new heroine. Modeled after the dancer Marge

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