Rox started dancing at 8 years old and attended the BRIT School in London, England, at age 14. There she trained in ballet, tap and contemporary during the week and supplemented her training with evening ballet classes at Laine Theatre Arts and weekend classes at Kemi Chandlers Disco Freestyle School in Birmingham. After graduating from the BRIT School, Rox attended the Urdang Academy vocational college on scholarship. Though the emphasis of the school is musical theater, it was during this time she was introduced to hip hop, urban dance fusion and jazz funk. “While at university I got to work with industry leaders like Dean Lee, the assistant choreographer for Janet Jackson,” she says. “He taught me how to walk in heels, hold myself and dance commercially.”

Rox had her first professional dance job at 16 when she performed with British singer Leona Lewis on The X Factor. Throughout college, she continued to book performance opportunities, like dancing for Charli XCX. By the time she graduated from college in 2017, she had signed with AMCK Dance agency. What followed was a star-studded list of performance credits: She danced with Janet Jackson, Liam Payne, Enrique Iglesias, The Spice Girls on their 2019 tour, Black Eyed Peas, Little Mix, Akon, Robby Williams and others. She has also performed on “Britain’s Got Talent,” “Strictly Come Dancing” and “The X Factor,” as well as at the American Music Awards, The BRIT Awards and the MTV Awards. “I have been very blessed,” Rox says.

Though her success has certainly come in large part because of her hard work and natural talent, Rox feels it is also because she’s had a supportive team behind her. “It is so important to have a figure in your household who just believes in you,” she says. “My mom is that rock for me.” Within the industry, Rox has been especially encouraged by Charm La’Donna—Dua Lipa’s current choreographer. “She’s been my mentor for the last few years, and as a Black woman, she is so inspiring,” says Rox. “She is absolutely killing the game.”

Here, Rox shares the guidance that has made all the difference in her career, the wisdom she would like to pass on to up-and-coming dancers, and her goals for the future.

The advice that has made all the difference in her career “Always be in tune with your breath. Control your nerves. Listen to the music, and let it move you. Don’t get carried away with showing off tricks. Straighten the backs of your knees. Alignment and posture are fundamental to your success. And, finally, don’t take things too personally. You don’t know what’s going through the heads of those on the audition panel. All you can do is prepare, show up early, get warm and see what happens.”

The wisdom she wants to pass on to the next generation of dancers “Believe in yourself, work hard and have patience. Your dreams will come true if you envision them, and know that they’re possible.”

The turning point in her career “I started booking regular work straight out of college. I think that’s when it all hit me: This is what I have been hoping and dreaming for, and it’s really happening. It made me realize I was doing a good job because the choreographers kept coming back to work with me again and again.”

Her goals for the future “I want to move to the States and continue my journey as a dancer. There are some really exciting artists and stars in the music industry that I would love to work with, like Beyoncé, Rihanna and Justin Timberlake. I would also love to continue working with Charm. I want to meet new people, explore movement creation and choreography, and expand my experiences.”