The Encounter 2026: dance meets fashion.
The iconic Dutch designer duo Spijkers en Spijkers steps onto the dance floor together with dancers from Introdans. In this new choreography by Adriaan Luteijn, titled TWINSET, the worlds of haute couture and contemporary dance blend into an intriguing experience. It is a unique collaboration between Introdans and State of Fashion, two Arnhem based organisations that share a vision on art, craftsmanship, innovation and connection. TWINSET – The Encounter 2026 will premiere during the State of Fashion Biennale on 12 June 2026 at a special location in Arnhem, and will also be part of the Introdans End of Season 2026 programme in Doetinchem and Apeldoorn.
Sharing the love for dance with a wide audience is at the heart of Introdans. Dance tells a story of connection. Bringing together Introdans dancers with performers from different backgrounds is an important part of this mission, and has long taken shape through The Encounters. For more than twenty five years, choreographer and Artistic Initiator Interaction & Inclusion Adriaan Luteijn has used this series to highlight what Introdans truly stands for: dance as a unifying force.
In these special productions, professional Introdans dancers share the stage with guest performers from other physical, social and cultural worlds, from athletes to older adults, from people with different body realities to hip hop dancers or even entire families. Working from personal stories, apparent contrasts are bridged and boundaries shift. Physicality and human diversity gain a new dimension. The result: moving, authentic and surprising performances that touch and connect.
About TWINSET – The Encounter 2026
For this new 2026 edition of The Encounter, choreographer Adriaan Luteijn teams up with Truus and Riet Spijkers, internationally acclaimed fashion designers known for their layered constructions, geometric precision and striking visual language. Luteijn, who has long been fascinated by the work and lives of the Arnhem born twins, found the perfect moment to merge fashion and dance in close collaboration with Iris Ruisch (Director of State of Fashion) and Roel Voorintholt (Artistic Director of Introdans).
The audience steps into a studio like environment: a workspace where Truus and Riet design, discuss and sketch. What begins as a realistic glimpse into their creative process gradually unfolds into a choreography. Two Introdans dancers appear as their alter egos and together with the designers form a dynamic quartet. Themes such as sisterhood and the Golden Ratio, a recurring motif in the work of Spijkers en Spijkers, run throughout the piece. It becomes 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, offering a stage for alternatives to today’s dominant fashion system. They explicitly and transparently connect fashion to urgent societal questions and challenges of our time, such as inclusivity, fair practice, the impact of globalisation and the climate crisis. Central to their mission is the question: how can fashion and textiles contribute to a better world? Every two years they organise a large scale public event, the State of Fashion Biennale, curated by a rotating team who explore these issues in their own distinct way while actively involving the public.