She was taking dance instruction before she was ten years old. From that moment on she became a workaholic, practicing every day for hours, even in the backyard. Her big break could have come with her role as a young Victoria Principal in Mistress (1987) (TV), but the producers edited her part out of the film. Her main breakthrough came in 1991, when she was picked by Prince to dance with him for the "Diamonds and Pearls" album. A single from the album went to #1 and Robia was pictured on the cover. In 1994 she appeared in the independent feature The Pros & Cons of Breathing (1993). Later on came a role in Spawn (1997) and, even more importantly, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997).