Darfield Line Dancers - Club Q&A's

Welcome to this month’s edition of our Club Q&A series! 🌟 We’re thrilled to put the spotlight on the fabulous Darfield Line Dancers and their inspiring leader, Jenny Brookes.

Whether you’re a seasoned dancer with years of experience or taking your first tentative steps into the world of line dancing, the Darfield Line Dancers welcome everyone with open arms. Nestled in the picturesque South Island, this vibrant club is a true hub of energy, rhythm, and connection. Known for their warm and inclusive atmosphere, they’ve earned a reputation not just for impressive footwork but for building a strong, supportive community.

From newcomers finding their groove to seasoned pros perfecting their moves, Darfield Line Dancers offers a space where everyone belongs. It’s more than a club, and we can’t wait to share what makes Jenny and her team so special! ... Let's dive in...

What’s the name of your club, and how did you come up with it?

We’re the Darfield Line Dancers. The combined Darfield and Oxford groups operate under The Alps Line Dancers Facebook page. It’s not well-known or frequently used—I probably should post there more! 😁. I live at the base of the foothills between Darfield and Oxford. The photo I use on our flyers of the Southern Alps is taken from my back door. (Check out the flyer under the Events section for Kate Moore’s Workshop next year).

How long has the club been running, and where is it based?

I started the Darfield Line Dancers club on May 16, 2018. There weren’t any clubs in the Darfield area, and 50 people showed up to our first class! Some of the originals are still with me today. We use the local Darfield Recreational Centre—it’s a large hall, and all our socials are held there too. We’ve had 163 people attend, but we prefer to cap it at 150. See the photo of our social with Nigel Mooney running the workshop in 2024.

Tell us about 'Darfield Line Dancers' instructor.

I work full time at Lincoln University and own a small farm raising calves. I also teach at Oxford & I have 1 class at Darfield each week covering all levels. Photo below is of the dancers from Darfield & Oxford who attended the beginner’s social.  This was the first time for some of them.  Great work!....

I love to travel which is just as well, between work & dancing, I had 12 trips away (overnight) in the first semester of this year! Some of the photos were of those. Dunedin at Lorna’s pyjama party & Oamaru 2024 social, another group of us dressed up as the 3 little pigs, ‘nursery rhymes’ theme.

I love to combine travel & dancing especially if I can incorporate some ecology & insect/bird watching with it. Lol.  Over the years I’ve had some great trips away with some great people- some are just for fun and wanting to visit a particular place & incorporate some line dancing -Stewart Island, West Coast, Taupo & Rotorua, others to attend socials as well- Nelson (New Years eve-5 years in a row now), Dunedin, Auckland, Australia multiple times, Norfolk Island where I first met Kate Moore & I won Norfolk Island Line Dancer of the year!!!! We have Kate coming again for another Workshop in May next year. (Registration & flyers just out now). Looking forward to that.

I will be doing my first workshop next year at Kerikeri, Bay of Islands Line Dance Festival. May 2025... Really looking forward to this. Thanks, heaps, for asking Jo. I'm looking forward to meeting some new faces & making new friends and of course, we will be sightseeing after the workshops for a few days. There’s around 8 of us coming up so should be fun.

What other sport/hobby can you combine, social, travel, dance & fitness !!! … I’m still hooked. 🤠🕺🏻

What are some of your club’s favorite dances?

Any fun stories or memories?

We have a young enthusiastic group of people with the club still growing. Ages range from 14 to 88 years old.

Gosh trying to think of a story I can literally tell on an open article is hard 😬 !!!

For me personally as an instructor, my reward is watching the faces of the dancers when they get the dance & can do it till the end, even if they do make a few mistakes. You can see when it just clicks!!! Their faces say it & I never get tired of seeing that.

I have to mention the story of when we went to Oamaru social last year. The theme was ‘W’. I was in a white wedding dress, we had a WPC (UK police), western cowboy, and a white snowflake. Our driver, Celine, decided to take all the back roads back to our accommodation... We’ll of course, the cops decided this was the most likely way that young drunk teenagers like to take too…. So had set up a breath testing station. Imaging his surprise seeing all of us dressed up (see pic below)… and took some persuading… no we hadn’t been drinking!!!. We cursed ourselves after as we didn’t get a photo with him!!!

Does your club have a preferred style of music (country or pop), or do you just love any good dance song?

We dance to anything !!! 🎶 🕺🏻💃🏼

Cowboy boots, dance shoes, or a comfortable pair of trainers—what’s your club’s go-to?

Some are definitely cowboy boots, others like the fancy glitter delicate ballroom shoe, while I prefer, for class anyway, the sneaker style. Social-anything that goes with the outfit!!

Every club seems to have that character (or maybe many)—does your club have one or some? Tell us a little about them.

We have a huge mix of people from all walks of life, both men & women. We definitely have a few characters amongst us. They would also say I was one of them. 😂

Anything else to share about the club?

For us, its all about friendships & dancing and spreading the word, line dancing is fun. They’re a friendly bunch who are most welcoming. ❤️

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Personal Note from Chris (LDNZ):

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jenny and Celine for their support during the launch of Linedance NZ. They test-drove the site and provided valuable feedback before it went live, which was greatly appreciated. 💙 😊