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TWINSET - De Ontmoeting

De Ontmoeting (The Encounter) 2026: dance meets fashion.
The iconic Dutch design duo Spijkers and Spijkers step onto the dance floor with dancers from Introdans. In this new choreography by Adriaan Luteijn, titled TWINSET, the worlds of haute couture and contemporary dance merge into an intriguing experience. A unique collaboration between Introdans and State of Fashion, two Arnhem based organisations that connect through a shared vision of art, craftsmanship, innovation and connection. TWINSET: The Encounter 2026 premieres during the State of Fashion Biennale on 12 June 2026 at Theater aan de Rijn in Arnhem, and will later also be presented as part of Introdans’ End of Season 2026 programme in Doetinchem and Apeldoorn.

Sharing a love for dance with a wide audience is the mission of Introdans. Dance tells a story of connection. Bringing Introdans dancers together with dancers from different worlds is a key part of this mission and has long been put into practice through The Encounters. With this series, choreographer and Artistic Initiator Interaction and Inclusion Adriaan Luteijn has for more than twenty five years given form to what Introdans stands for like no other: dance as a connecting force. In these special productions, professional Introdans dancers share the stage with guest dancers from other physical, social and cultural worlds, ranging from athletes to older adults, from people with different bodily realities to hip hop dancers or even entire families. Working from personal stories, apparent contrasts are bridged and boundaries are pushed. Physicality and human diversity gain a new dimension. The result is moving, authentic and surprising performances that touch and connect.

About TWINSET: The Encounter 2026
For this new Encounter in 2026, choreographer Adriaan Luteijn collaborates with Truus and Riet Spijkers, internationally acclaimed fashion designers known for their layered designs, geometric precision and distinctive visual language. Luteijn, who has long been fascinated by the work and lives of the Arnhem based twins, found in collaboration with Iris Ruisch, director of State of Fashion, and Roel Voorintholt, artistic director of Introdans, the perfect occasion to bring fashion and dance together in a literal sense.

The audience enters an atelier like setting: a workspace where sisters Truus and Riet design, consult and sketch. What begins as a realistic glimpse into their design process gradually unfolds into choreography. Two Introdans dancers, appearing as their alter egos, join the sisters to form a dynamic quartet. Themes such as sisterhood and the Golden Ratio principle, a recurring motif in the work of Spijkers and Spijkers, run through the choreography like a guiding thread. An ode to sisterly love and the beauty of imperfect perfection.

About State of Fashion
State of Fashion is an international fashion platform, based in Arnhem, where alternatives to the current fashion system are given a stage. In an explicit and honest way, they connect fashion to the societal issues and challenges of our time, including inclusivity and fair practice, the impact of globalisation and the climate crisis. Central to this is the question: how can fashion and textiles contribute to a better world? Every two years they organize a large scale public event, the State of Fashion Biennale, with a changing team of curators who each time explore these issues in their own way and actively engage the public.

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Adriaan Luteijn

Choreographer

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