By Divine Hanna
With a passion for fashion and a romance for dance, senior Joshua “Red” Guerrero has used social media as an outlet to express his limitless creativity, whether it be sharing his now viral TikTok dances or trendy style through Instagram.
Red’s devotion for the fine art of dance started at a young age. He, just like the rest of the tween world of 2012, had become infatuated with the Disney Sitcom show, “Shake it Up.” Rocky and Cece’s sick moves and killer outfits exhilarated then 8-year-old Red, and ignited his desire to dance.
However, it did take him some time to get to where he is now.
“I started playing soccer and football, because my siblings were doing it, and I never really liked it. I was always on the sidelines. After watching ‘Shake it Up’ and ‘Camp Rock,’ I wanted to start dancing so bad. I would beg my parents to put me in dance class. After they saw how much I wanted to do it, they finally agreed,” Red said.
And the rest is history!
Over the past few years, Red has been able to check off several bucket list items, including being noticed by SZA, dancing during one of Justin Bieber’s Purpose Tour shows, and being a featured dancer on Disney Channel and Nickelodeon.
This small taste of fame has opened several doors for the 17-year-old prodigy who continues to make a well-known name for himself in the dance community, with TikTok stars, such as Charli d’Amelio and Haley Sharpe, recreating his incredible dances.
Not only is he a fantastic dancer, but also a fashionmonger. Inspired by Bella Hadid and Olivia Rodrigo, Red uses fashion as yet another expression of creativity.
“I have always been really into fashion, but it kind of started in elementary school. I would never let my mom pick my outfits. I always did it on my own. Sometimes it takes me over an hour to pick out an outfit to wear. I really like feeling confident in my outfits every day. People always underestimate how good a good outfit can make you feel,” Red said.
Rocking Marc Jacobs, Unif, Urban Outfitters, and second-hand pieces, Red struts through campus in his bold style in the finest apparel. However, he also tries to focus on sustainable fashion and not play into over-consuming.
His greatest secrets to achieving his prime style is finding pieces that will last as long as possible and looking in all sections of the store regardless of intended gender. Red stands by his belief that fashion is genderless and always evolving.
While Red has achieved so much, he still has many goals he is working towards.
“I try not to make my achievements such a big deal in my head because I know I can always do more and do better. I will pat myself on the back, but I take it as motivation to go further,” Red said.
His biggest dream is dancing on tour. He admits it’s every dancer’s wish, but who wouldn’t want to dance with Doja Cat? Alongside furthering his career as a dancer, he plans to get involved with the fashion and film industry.
Although his social media has grown drastically, Red admits that his day-to-day life fortunately hasn’t changed much, especially as his circle of friends has remained the same.
Overall, he credits his family for his great confidence and his signature nickname, which was created by his aunt who calls him “Rojo” for his red hair.
“They have always been supportive of my dancing. Especially with guys in the arts, parents are often not really supportive or willing to let them do it. So, I am very lucky to have my parents’ support.”
As he continues to spread happiness through his humble mindset, outspoken personality, and talents, Red is ready to take on the artistic world one step at a time. There is so much more of Joshua Guerrero that he cannot wait to share.
The Plaid Press 