This weekend, smaller ballet shoes will glide on the stage of North Hall’s Space/Place.

The University of Iowa Youth Ballet will put on its end-of-the-semester performance at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Dec. 16.

Jason Schadt, the artistic coordinator of the Youth Ballet, said the show is geared toward the experience the young dancers gain in performance.

“This is the first time we have done the Nutcracker in a number of years,” he said. “It’s a great way to incorporate all of the levels of the dance company in one performance.”

The performance will be special compared with others in the past, because it will incorporate an international theme.

The young dancers, whose ages range from 7 to 15, will perform Russian and Arabian pieces in Russian dresses and belly-dance skirts.