Is there anything sweeter at the holidays than a kids’ Christmas recital? The nervous and excited energy of performing, combined with the magic and wonder of the season always seem to make these kid events seem more special. This adorable video of preschool students at St. Elizabeth Child Care in Jersey City, NJ makes the rounds every year because there’s never been a more entertaining version of “Rocking Around The Christmas Tree.”
Given the ages of the kids involved, you know that literally, anything can happen. With young kids, there’s a high probability that anything they have been rehearsing will be forgotten and kids will either freeze up on stage or go all out, so it’s fun to see how things will shake out.
In the video, the children enter to take to the stage, wearing matching green outfits with a festive neck accessory. They’re already too cute, as they calmly walk in, single file, with their hands held behind their backs.
The video then cuts to the curtain opening, with the children lined up in three rows on stage, with the words “A Child Is Born” behind them. The audience excitedly claps for the tiny performers, with some of the kids seen waving to their families and others looking slightly stunned by being on display.
The kids have their hands on their hips and, when the music starts, most of them begin shaking their hips side to side. The choreography is not entirely in sync, nor or all of them doing it, as a few bewildered children either just move their head side to side or stand still looking out at the crowd.
The next bit of choreography involves the kids pointing out to the audience, then they get low and shimmy upwards, putting their hands to their ears on the lyric “when you hear” and some accompanying arm movements then follow.
Then they’re back to the “rocking” moves and repeating some of the choreography again in the chorus. Notice their teacher in the front row who is giving them all the moves to remember!
During the instrumental break of the song, the kids hold hands and sway side to side before breaking into the chorus moves again. At this point, the audience is pretty taken by all of the cuteness on stage, as parents and family members clap along and sway to the music.
Finally, the kids give a big finish, hands up and waving in the air… and the crowd cheers as the small performers give their bows and the curtain closes.
Those who viewed the adorable YouTube video left comments about how it was “so funny” and “so cute,” while others pinpointed those who weren’t keeping up with the choreography.
Other commenters noted how one of the kids seemed to have it figured out, with one person noting: “I like the middle girl in the front — it’s so cute and she knows how to do it and she’s singing too” and another person adding, “And she’s doing all the dances.”