Dance teachers, coaches and troop leaders who bring in a Santa Claus impersonator in NYC for the last class before Christmas give the children a way to end the season together. Parents watch from the side while the group finishes in dance clothes or uniforms. Santa wears the full red suit the whole time, never a jersey.
When the last class ends. Santa arrives at the end of the last class, practice, or meeting before Christmas. The children sit together on the floor or a bench, and he greets the whole group before anyone lines up. Each child then gets a quick hello and a photo with him.
Groups call from Bay Ridge, Astoria, Ditmas Park, Massapequa, and Huntington. A studio, a gym, or a meeting room all work if there is open floor in front of Santa’s chair. The teacher or coach stays at the side so the children still see a familiar face.
The group photo. Everyone stands in their dance clothes or uniforms with Santa in the middle. The smallest children go in front, and the teacher or coach stands at the side. Take that picture before the individual hellos so the whole group is still together.
Small gifts or certificates the teacher or coach provides, labeled by name, let Santa hand each one out. Keep the labels large enough to read in a hurry. The gifts stay with the group; Santa does not bring a sack of extras.
The room. A chair for Santa at the front and open floor in front of it is the whole set. Mirrors in a studio catch the tree lights and help parents take pictures from the side. A gym needs the same clear floor so nobody trips on bags.
A real bearded Santa suits close-up photos; a traditional Santa in a full red suit with a full styled beard is the lower-cost choice. Elves can join as an add-on if the room is large enough. Santa still greets the group first, then the individual pictures begin.
When you call. Name the kind of group, how many children, the room, and the time class ends. If the families on the team live in the same building, a holiday party for a whole apartment building is another time to see Santa. This class party is booked as school and church Santa, and you can reach us with the same details in writing.
A martial arts class, a youth soccer team, a gymnastics group, a music class, a scout troop, and an after-school program use the same order: group greeting, group photo, then individual hellos. The last class before Christmas is the right night because the children are already in the room. Parents only need to stay a little longer than usual.
Uniforms and dance clothes should be on before Santa enters, because changing later steals time from the pictures. Hair bows and belts can wait until after the group photo if they slow the line. The teacher or coach can call names from a written list so Santa is not guessing at the front of the room.
Tell the children the group photo comes first so nobody leaves the floor before it is taken. Bags and water bottles stay along the wall until Santa has gone. Parents who want a picture of their own child can take it during the individual hellos, not during the group shot in the middle of the room.
Radiators clank in older studios in December, so keep the children in their class clothes instead of adding heavy coats for the photos. The visit stays inside until the last picture is done. Parents can gather bags after Santa has gone so the floor stays clear while he is there.