Penn State Students to Begin New Social Dance App

When three Penn State students united over their shared interest in dance, they couldn't have predicted where the connection would lead them. 

Abelardo Sobarzo, Nicole Guzman, and Abraham Hernandez are the founders of Fogo Dance, a social dance app inspired by their love for dance and personal experiences. The team entered Penn State's Startup Week Bardusch Family IdeaMakers Challenge, advancing from preliminary rounds to a live presentation and earning a $3,000 prize, which supported their development efforts.

According to The Daily Collegian, the idea for Fogo Dance first took shape during winter break 2024. At that time, Sobarzo was experiencing difficulties coordinating choreography with his dance team remotely.

“We were trying to work on a routine, but we were all far apart and didn't have partners,” Sobarzo, a fifth-year student studying informatics and Fogo Dance's chief technology officer, told The Daily Collegian. “That's when I realized how hard it is to find people to dance with or learn from, especially outside of organized teams.”

Sobarzo approached his friends and fellow dance enthusiasts, Guzman and Hernandez, with the idea of creating a tool that would fill gaps in the social dance community by providing a platform to find dance partners, local events, and classes.

The beta version of Fogo Dance is scheduled to launch by the end of 2025 on Android and iOS. Sobarzo, Guzman, and Hernandez said they plan to expand internationally, particularly into Latin American countries.

The app's revenue model is still evolving. However, the students say they plan to operate it similarly to Ticketmaster by charging small commissions for ticketed events and eventually offering paid lessons.

Fogo Dance's founders, who met through Penn State's Caliente! Dance Team and share a background in Latin dance, are motivated by friendship, cultural pride, and a passion for creating a meaningful resource for dancers worldwide.

“We're just three best friends who met dancing,” Guzman said. “We all work hard. We all come from immigrant families. And we all want to create something meaningful, not just for us, but for anyone who loves to dance.”