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From Dance Floor to Digital Platform: Bollystep Makes Dance Rehearsals Across Time Zones Easier

From Dance Floor to Digital Platform: Bollystep Makes Dance Rehearsals Across Time Zones Easier

Through Bollystep, USC Marshall alum Safiya Adatia is connecting organizers, guests, and professional choreographers to simplify dance preparation for South Asian celebrations.

by: Fiona Huang
02.10.26
Safiya Adatia

Safiya Adatia BS ’25, Founder of Bollystep

[Photo courtesy of Adatia]

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After 13 years immersed in Bollywood dancing. Safiya Adatia ’25 has seen the same scenario unfold at numerous South Asian weddings. These joyful traditions, which bring together family and friends for choreographed performances, can turn into a logistical challenge. As her family’s unofficial choreographer, Adatia was tasked with coordinating dancers across different time zones, schedules, and varying levels of experience. She accomplished this in part by sending grainy videos through online messaging apps.

“There are last-minute practices that take hours, and everyone should be enjoying the event, but instead they’re stressed out. I’ve been in that position, and I’ve learned through customer discovery that I wasn’t the only one involved,” said Adatia.

With that, Bollystep was born.

Launched during her senior year at USC Marshall, Bollystep is a centralized platform for “virtual dance learning and coordination for South Asian celebrations.” The app connects event organizers, dancers, and professional choreographers to tutorials and learning tools to simplify dance planning and preparation. Bollystep resonated immediately with the target audience. After posting a single TikTok video, 70 potential clients reached out eager to use the platform, along with 250 choreographers interested in collaborating.

Adatia’s entrepreneurial ambitions flourished at USC Marshall. The pairing of business administration with social impact and entrepreneurship offered a platform that aligned perfectly with her goal of creating positive impact through innovation.

Beyond the curriculum, she resonated with Marshall’s hands-on approach.

“You’re not just sitting in a classroom learning from a textbook as a professor lectures you; you get that hands-on experience where you have activities or projects that are startup-based, research, [or] case study-type problems to solve,” Adatia said.

It just is immeasurable, the impact that USC Marshall has had on our business.

— Safiya Adatia ’25

Founder, Bollystep

The Trojan Network provided Bollystep a solid foundation. Adatia leveraged pro bono services from Gould School of Law students to incorporate her startup. She recruited her initial team entirely through USC, from student clubs to Marshall Slack channels to flyers posted around campus. Within two weeks, she had built a dedicated team eager to launch Bollystep.

The support extended to faculty. Marshall professors and program leaders became mentors and advisors, providing guidance as Adatia navigated the uncertainties of early-stage entrepreneurship. During her time at USC, Adatia competed in several venture competitions, winning $2,000 for product development through Troy Lab’s pitch competition.

“It just is immeasurable, the impact that USC Marshall has had on our business,” Adatia said.

For Bollystep’s next stage, Adatia plans to incorporate AI technology that will assess dancers’ movements in real time, offering precise corrections for posture, positioning, and technique. Additionally, the app will generate custom choreographies based on characteristics such as skill level, song selection, group size, and complexity choices.

As Bollystep grows, Adatia remains focused on the fundamentals: building a strong team, serving her community effectively, and maintaining the sustainable practices that allow founders to stay in the game for the long haul.

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