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.