You could be forgiven this morning for thinking a cannon had shot out more than 200 frouffy tutus along every tree and pole of one block of Seymour Street.

No, you were not hallucinating. In fact, it was a cheeky publicity stunt by Ballet B.C., a troupe eager to change its image.

The campaign encouraged people to "take our tutus", a signal the company is a cutting-edge, contemporary ballet troupe that doesn't need the classical attire anymore. In fact, you're more likely to find the dancers in corsets, boy shorts, and athletic wear.

And take the tutus people did: Ballet B.C. reports it took just two hours for the street to be stripped of its gauzy skirts, handmade by volunteers.

Audiences will get a firsthand look at the modern direction artistic director Emily Molnar is taking the company in at its season kickoff show, Songs of a Wayfarer and Other Works, when it opens November 18 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

Two seasons ago, the company struggled near collapse due to dwindling audiences and declining finances. Molnar was brought on last season to rejuvenate the company and has promised to bring in contemporary choreographers from around the world.