Adriaan Luteijn (Netherlands, 1964) definitely isn’t a standard choreographer. In 1998 he ended his career as a dancer at Introdans, and from this time on he began to develop his choreographic activities for a range of dancers and institutions in the Netherlands and far abroad. He doesn’t really regard himself as a major innovator of dance language, but more as someone who creates innovative theatre with dancers.

Human variety

In all of his works connection and the human variety are the keywords. He flourishes with the friction and collision happening in his working processes with dancers from usually separated worlds, one of them always a skilled professional. That friction is what delivers the energy. For both dancers and spectators. Luteijn enjoys ‘serendipities’, special opportunities that cross his path and that also inspire people with whom he creates. People that come from a wide variety of physical, social, cultural and intellectual worlds. For instance the Dutch Olympic Volleyball team, hiphop-waacking and vogueing dancers, older people, dancers with different physical and/or intellectual abilities, or even whole families, all of whom he places alongside professional dancers (Introdancers), and always with remarkable results. And this is the recipe: half of the cast should be professionally trained and experienced modern/classic/contemporary dancers, the others are guest dancers from different worlds. In a for both partners warm yet challenging process, he creates choreographies constantly questioning and stretching up the possibilities of the dancers. The rehearsals reflect the usual routine of a professional dance company and gives a clear structure for all, and lead towards the highest possible professional result on stage.

“It makes me very happy as a maker and as a human being when I succeed in letting dancers and the audience experience a new connection. That connection often lies on the human level. It is fantastic to see how dance can open up worlds, bring people together and give them a different means of communication that previously was unknown to them,” says Adriaan Luteijn.

Building bridges

Luteijn feels it’s important to build bridges. And in his view of things, dance is a superb, non-verbal way of doing that. Luteijns homebase is the Dutch ballet company Introdans, which has a long standing history of connecting people through dance. Be it with performances of renown modern ballet repertoire (of Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Lucinda Childs, Jiri Kylian etc.) or in interaction with 1000’s participants from 4-104 years in communities or schools. The company is famous for its high quality performances danced and choreographed by a true inclusive tableau.

“What I have learned from choreographer Adriaan Luteijn is that inclusion does not mean to bring everybody in, but to exclude nobody. So think the other way around. In the pieces I have danced in, I needed my fellow dancers but they needed me too. That gives me not only a feeling of equality, but also being of value and really participate.” Eva Eikhout (dancer in Pro Forma 1 and 2)

Works

Over the years Adriaan Luteijn has created various works for Introdans, with an immense variety of people. Such as Pink Panther Party, Iungo, Nest, Pro Forma 1 and 2, Circular, Scalabor bruist verder, HubClub’23, Red Bow Club, Rara Avis.

Upcoming projects

In the coming years there are exciting new projects in the agenda for this choreographer who flourishes by challenges. For example: commissions for festivals in South Africa, Italy, Austria, and Spain. We are happy to tell you more about it!

Accolades

In 2003 Adriaan Luteijn received the Incentive Prize of Dansersfonds ’79 for his work, and in 2008 the Kunstfactor Dance Oeuvre Award. The Kunstfactor jury praised the (inter)national breadth of his work, its appeal to a wide audience and Luteijn’s original style. In 2018 Luteijn was honoured for his special work and appointed Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau.