Howdy! I’m Nico.

In the summer of 2023, a joke turned into what was supposed to be a one-off line dance lesson in a rented studio. Spoiler alert, it became my greatest passion. Fast forward to today, and I've taught thousands of people in Austin to dance, built a crew of amazing regulars (AKA my "Best Twirl-Friends"), started running a performance troupe, and expanded my offerings.

I have also danced on stages all around town, including The Paramount, Bass Concert Hall, and gathered and trained groups of dancers for a Brooke Eden song release as well as two artists music videos that will be coming soon (early 2026)!

Erika Rich Photo

Erika Rich Photo

Erika Rich Photo

CFD's Values

Country Fried Values

Fun

Line dancing is meant to be joyful. My lessons are low-stakes, laughter-filled, and designed to help everyone—from beginners to seasoned dancers— feel great on the dance floor. We dance to absolute bangers that span multiple genres and decades, so there’s truly something for everyone! From silly, to sassy, to spicy, all the way back to traditional heel-toe line dance classics like Boot Scootin’ Boogie… I know a fun dance for all occasions and audiences!

Erika Rich Photo

Accessibility

Dance is for everybody. I teach with patience, clarity and kindness so that folks of all ages, identities and experience levels feel welcome and successful. I use gender neutral lead/follow language in my pardn’er dance style to the realities of your body. Mobility device? No problem! Missing an arm? Cool- let's dance! I’ve even been exploring ways to better reach the deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) community and brushing up on my ASL.

Erika Rich Photo

Community

CFD is more than dance lessons— it’s a growing Austin community. Come meet kind people, share good music, and be part of a space that celebrates connection and movement. You can catch us at any Neon Rainbows event as well as other cool events too, check out the Google Calendar to find us! I'm so thankful to have grown into dance and friendship with my community and to have been able to invite them to participate in some pretty cool performances, including 2 music videos!

Erika Rich Photo

Fun

Line dancing is meant to be joyful. My lessons are low-stakes, laughter-filled, and designed to help everyone—from beginners to seasoned dancers— feel great on the dance floor. We dance to absolute bangers that span multiple genres and decades, so there’s truly something for everyone! From silly, to sassy, to spicy, all the way back to traditional heel-toe line dance classics like Boot Scootin’ Boogie… I know a fun dance for all occasions and audiences!

Erika Rich Photo

Accessibility

Dance is for everybody. I teach with patience, clarity and kindness so that folks of all ages, identities and experience levels feel welcome and successful. I use gender neutral lead/follow language in my pardn’er dance style to the realities of your body. Mobility device? No problem! Missing an arm? Cool- let's dance! I’ve even been exploring ways to better reach the deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) community and brushing up on my ASL.

Erika Rich Photo

Community

CFD is more than dance lessons— it’s a growing Austin community. Come meet kind people, share good music, and be part of a space that celebrates connection and movement. You can catch us at any Neon Rainbows event as well as other cool events too, check out the Google Calendar to find us! I'm so thankful to have grown into dance and friendship with my community and to have been able to invite them to participate in some pretty cool performances, including 2 music videos!

Erika Rich Photo

Book Country Fried Dance Here!

Music

Country Fried Playlists

I teach over 150+ line dances, each paired with multiple song options. To keep things easy, I create custom Spotify playlists for each dance and assemble an event-specific playlist for your party, lesson, or social dance time.

These playlists are shared with DJs and attendees through my Airtable, making it simple to follow along and revisit dances you loved.

See All Playlists

For my DJ Friends

Your Burning (Line Dancing) Questions, Answered

Work with me!

I would love to collaborate with you on an event, whatever it may be! Got a corporate party you want to keep your guests amused at? I'll teach lessons and/or lead social dances! A bride who wants to make sure people get on the dance floor, hire me and a couple of my dance die hards to get the party started ands serve as demos around the floor that guests can follow during line dancing.

Erika Rich Photo

Music

I know over 150 dances (and counting!) and I love to do each dance to multiple songs. To keep things simple, I have Spotify playlists for each dance I teach. I also make a playlist for each event - this is made available to both you as the DJ and the attendees via my Airtable. In addition, I have line dance playlists that are party ready for any occasion, including a haunted halloween playlist!

Erika Rich Photo

Frequently Asked Questions

Your Burning (Line Dancing) Questions, Answered

What do I wear?

Do you work with bands?

What if I have two left feet?

Do you only dance to country music?

Can I tip you?

I’m anxious—can I learn ahead of time?

Frequently Asked Questions

Your Burning (Line Dancing) Questions, Answered

What do I wear?

Do you work with bands?

What if I have two left feet?

Do you only dance to country music?

Can I tip you?

I’m anxious—can I learn ahead of time?

Frequently Asked Questions

Your Burning (Line Dancing) Questions, Answered

What do I wear?

Do you work with bands?

What if I have two left feet?

Do you only dance to country music?

Can I tip you?

I’m anxious—can I learn ahead of time?

Ready to Dance?

Book a lesson, join a public event, or connect with me to bring Country Fried Dance to your next occasion.