Pacific Northwest Ballet artistic director Peter Boal's contemporary-leaning late-season lineup is a helpful reminder that ballet need not be all cursed princesses and pancake tutus.

A well-made decorated pancake tutu can run well over $1,000. To save money, most of the ballet's costumes were made over the years by volunteers.

Even as a ballet student, I remember not being given a proper pancake tutu until I was much older, with many years of training under my belt.