NORWICH – Dancing and Father’s Day have gone hand-in-hand in Norwich over most of the past three decades, and this year is no exception as the Donna Frech School of Dance holds its 32nd annual recital.
The dancing begins this weekend in the Norwich High School auditorium, with evening performances at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and matinees at 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
The studio’s nearly 300 students will tap, twirl and tumble to numbers choreographed with the theme, “Innovations and Legends” in mind. Frech and her staff of six teachers have created “something new and something that people will remember,” the longtime studio director/teacher said. She credits her teaching staff for their “creativity,” “imagination,” and dedication to all of the students enrolled at the school.
“It really doesn’t feel like I’ve been doing this for this many years. When I count back, it seems hard that’s it has really been 32 of them. I remember when I first started. But I like a challenge, to create something new or different each year. And year after year, things fall in to place,” Frech said.
The senior show’s opening number, “Carnivale,” incorporates jazz, acro and tap performed by 20 dancers. The piece was choreographed by Frech and her daughter, instructor Kristen DeFrancisco, in the style of the infamous Rio De Janeiro celebration that is held annually in Brazil. The number received a special award for teamwork and clean technique during a recent competition.
The sights and sounds of China were the inspiration behind the senior ballet class’ “Stop and Smell the Flowers.” Other performances include a combined lyrical number, “When You Believe.” An inspirational piece, “Believe” combines 23 junior and senior dancers and earned instructor Lisa Reynolds a special choreography award at competition.
The young faces lighting up the stage will perform to such traditional favorites as “Me and My Teddy Bear,” “Animal Crackers In My Soup,” and “There’s Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens.”
“The younger students are amazing to watch on stage,” Frech said. “It is so rewarding to see young students progress through the years and become beautiful dancers.”
Other dance instructors at the studio are: Frech’s daughter, Kathleen Cragle; Tamara Vodvarka; Andrea Wilson; and Samantha Osterwald.
Frech said her studios in Sidney, New Berlin and Norwich added 80 new students this year.
Tickets may be purchased at Donna Frech School of Dance Studios in Norwich, Sidney and New Berlin or at First Edition Book Store in Norwich; Bartle’s Pharmacy in Oxford, Service Pharmacy in Norwich and Sherburne and Video Entertainment Plus in Sidney.