A dancer waits to go on stage for the Waltz of the Snowflakes during a performance of Maine State Ballet's "The Nutcracker" at Merrill Auditorium in Portland on Tuesday. The abridged performance, for elementary school students, showed them some secrets behind the production, like how the Christmas tree grows taller and how it snows during the Waltz of the Snowflakes. The last performances are scheduled this weekend, with a 7 p.m. show on Friday, shows at 2 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, and a 2 p.m. show on Sunday. Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer