Starting in 2021, the IDT is committed to producing interdisciplinary performances in order to thus give the most complete picture of global cultures, for the widest possible audience. The IDT wants to cherish cultural diversity and show the differences respectfully to Dutch audiences.
Former dancer Desiree Rebel, as director, breathes new life into the company. Without permanent dancers, but with sustainable professional partners, she aspires to create a flexible organisation focusing on dance performances in collaboration with other art disciplines.

With the performance Femmes , Rebel passionately brings the company back to Dutch theatres. A performance that honours the rich cultural past and also shows the beauty and strength of women worldwide, regardless of what political circumstances they live in. Live, everyday life is shown as the backdrop or décor of the dance, making the performance experienced as a dancing documentary.

World styles and disciplines that require long-term academic training form the basis of the IDT's movement idiom. Because the IDT's performances are inspired by dance from all over the world, it is of great importance that its themes and elaboration are chosen carefully and substantively. For this reason, the performances are created in continuous dialogue with makers and dancers from the culture in question.

The conversations that Rebel, during her versatile career at the IDT, had with women from all over the world are translated into the performance Femmes. This performance features portraits of women and dance from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Specifically for Femmes, Rebel gives language to the role of women within their culture. This connection is expressed in the broadest sense of the word, across national borders and continents, but also on a smaller scale, more inwardly focused, Femmes manages to reflect women's internal and external struggles. The contrast of apparent oppression, by politics and rules, versus respect for their own culture. While the woman may be oppressed by the regime, she can also be widely appreciated and praised in her capacity as a beautiful dancer. This contrast in perception of womanhood is the guiding principle of Femmes.

Rebel: "The choice of choreography and content is based on my conversations with women from Korea, China, Iraq, Georgia and India. Encounters where my admiration for their dance and music coincided with the stories they told about their lives. The contradictions between culture and regime became clearer through these women's stories and traditions. My respect for other cultures and their traditions only increased as a result.
During Femmes, in addition to beautiful choreography, the difference between regime and culture is highlighted by a monologue performed by actress Julia Herfst, on the role of women in their culture.
Spoken from three points of view:

• us as an audience
• the woman within her culture
• the regime of that culture.