This little 'Boss baby sassy Brody' is inspiring millions by defying gender norms. 'Just be you'

Editor's note: This article was originally published on June 5, 2021. It has since been updated.

"I'm Boss Baby Sassy Brody!" That's how 5-year-old Brody Schaffer introduces himself. True to his glamorous moniker, this young boy is a whole lot of personality and talent wrapped in a cute little package. With over 661k followers on Instagram, Brody has already made a name for himself as an online dancing sensation who isn't afraid to express himself and live his best life. "He started dancing in the womb," Brody's mom, Danielle, revealed during an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show. "I always listened to music. We listen to music in our house, like 24 hours a day. We love music. He's a late walker, to be honest. It was around 18 months when he started to walk, but the dancing, I say, started at 12 months. He was moving his body like no other."

Recognizing their son's passion for dance, Danielle and her husband made it a point to unconditionally support Brody in his dance endeavors. "Brody is a born ballet dancer. He hasn't had any professional training yet, but he moves his feet like he's been dancing for years," the proud mom explained to Pop Sugar. "He's the epitome of the word 'natural.' I have been messaged by so many professional dancers telling me that what he can do is crazy. I honestly can't get him to stop. He dances all day through the night. Dancing brings him joy, and it truly brings the world joy."

While boys pursuing ballet has been a hot-button topic, Danielle does not believe in curbing her son's interests and hobbies no matter how unorthodox they may be. "Brody is a child, and we as a family celebrate our children for who they are," said Danielle. "If Brody wants to dress in his sister's costumes, so be it. If he wants to wear Elsa and Anna costumes, we will gladly put them on him. He's a child, and as long as he's kind, that's all we care about."

"We as parents celebrate each of our children for who they authentically are," she continued. "I had some folks message me very hateful stuff about how Brody should be in boy clothes and playing with trucks, and then it dawned on me: What if Brody had a person like this as a mother? That would be awful. We need to let our kids shine and break these gender barriers. The minute we let them be who they are, we unlock their passion to truly shine and flourish. Brody is a wonderful child, and we support him. As far as my other children are concerned, they, too, support their siblings. Everyone is different, and we raise our children to celebrate each other's differences; it's what makes the world so beautiful. I just wish I could see more of this in the world."

"I feel like he's representing change, that children can be who they are meant to be," Danielle told Clarkson. "And that's the biggest thing, is that all the messages that we get, like, 'Oh my gosh, you let your child dance,' 'Oh my gosh, you let him wear a costume; we love that about you.' And I think that there's a bigger picture behind the little boy that dances and does ballet and wears a dress."

Speaking to Good Morning America about Brody—who is the youngest of four—Danielle said: "I feel like it's so important to just be you because you are enough. It doesn't have to conform to what society, you know, says is normal. If Brody wants to wear pink, we're here for it. If Brody wants to wear glitter, we'll make sure he leaves glitter in his footsteps as he walks. We just want to support our children and let them know that they are enough."