The Skin Deep Collective
sensuality as performance art
The Skin Deep Collective (SDC) is a female-led performance arts company dedicated to positioning sensuality as a dramaturgical tool. Through emotionally and aesthetically impactful shows, our mission is to explore how the female body in sensual movement challenges norms, reshapes perception, and moves its audience. Our belief is that female sensuality is a powerful vessel for altering the emotional, mental and spiritual state of the audience, when we look beyond the patriarchal perceptions of it.
SDC provides an artistic platform for pole dancers, shibari artists, strippers, and other dancers of the night, giving visibility and legitimacy to these art forms by integrating them into contemporary theater. The collective challenges perceptions of female sensuality and educates the public on the history and craftsmanship behind these performances. Through thoughtfully directed and fairly compensated productions, SDC creates professional opportunities for artists whose work is often marginalized due to its sensual nature. Dedicated to inclusivity and advocacy, SDC sets new standards for representation, artistic quality, and fair treatment within the theater, dance, and cultural industries. Founded by performance artist Anna-Liisa and creative cultural producer Heta, the Skin Deep Collective has experienced rapid growth since its inception in 2023. It has successfully produced 3 shows, collaborated with events and locations and connected over 20 performers across various sensual arts through live and online networks.
SDC PRODUCTIONS
HOUSE OF CARDS
28th and 29th August 2025 at De Sloot Theater
with HOUSE OF CARDS, SDC stepped its first feet into storytelling, theater and character development, imagining a fictional universe where each performer plays a card in a castle. A storyline with intricate entanglements was written, played and danced with sensual performance at its core. In a continuous 1.5h show, sound tracks, voice recordings, choreography, circus, acting and styling came together to transport the audience into a story. Particular attention was paid to the aesthetics, collaborating with Amsterdam based brands Chisenga, Nue Memoirs, Latex Peach. The show was funded by NORMA Fonds and sponsored by New Side Erotic Shop.
IMMERSION
19th, 20th, 21st September 2024 at DOOR OPEN SPACE
with IMMERSION, SDC established its artistic vision beyond acrobatics, dance and cabaret. Pouring meticulous attention to detail in its movement research, aesthetic exploration, conceptual context and guidance of the audience and branding as a company. Imagining EROTICA as a guiding spiritual force of empowerment and connection, SDC embodied sensuality and the female body in a form transcending shame, fear and individualism. Attracting over 450 audience members and managing a team of 12 people, SDC proved the standard of their work to the general public and industry collaborators. The collaboration with Sara Europaeus as movement director, and Clara Cozzolino as sound designer elevated the show into a contemporary arts installation. IMMERSION was supported by Amsterdam Funds for the Arts (AFK).
SENSUAL CIRCUS
16th June 2024 at De Sloot Theater
with this show, SDC established themselves as collective capable of professional production and artistic vision. The driver for this show was to focus on sensual performance artistry that has a well thought visual identity, styling, soundscape, story and fair compensation of the artists. Putting at the forefront artists with unique depth and understanding of the female body as a communication and aesthetic tool, highlighting their unique flavours and textures of movement and storytelling. Blending acrobatics and sensual movement qualities, the CIRCUS takes the audience on an emotional rollercoaster of self exploration and empowerment. A focus of the CIRCUS is that of community fostering, encouraging audience members to react and even participate on stage. The show was sold at 150 tickets for a sold out theater.
ARTISTIC COLLABORATIONS
MUSEUMNACHT - Van Gogh Museum
MUSEUMNACHT (1st November 2024): performance installation at Van Gogh Museum
for Amsterdam’s nation wide event of Museumnacht, the Skin Deep Collective was invited by Bar Bario to perform at the historical Van Gogh museum. The premise was to show that just like Van Gogh during his time, our art is still widely misunderstood in the mainstream cultural sphere. Performing sensuality as individuals and as a collective of women was a revolutionary act, which was perceived by the wide variety of reactions by the audience and the unwavering support of Van Gogh museum itself. For the occasion, we choreographed a 40min show alternating between pole dancing, shibari and stripping.
HXSSY CABARET
QUEER SEX WORKER CABARET (16th November 2024): collaborative cabaret at Casa Rosso
SDC was invited by activism organisation HXSSY to perform four cabaret acts in their Queer Matinee series at the popular erotic theater Casa Rosso in the red light district. The premise of HXSSY’s cabaret series is to advocate for queer sex working individuals through performance artistry. SDC was honoured to part take in the collaboration to show support to this minority group that is at the core of their artistic inspiration. With two pole dance acts, a shibari act and a fire burlesque act, SDC showcased the power of their individual crafts while reinforcing the uniting factor that connects them as a collective.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Erotic Arts Weekend - Senses & Movement
WORKSHOP WEEKEND (18th&19th January 2025): workshop weekend in Utrecht
SDC invites participants to an intimate weekend of erotic exploration. This unique experience encourages individuals to discover the language of their own sensuality while indulging in the arts of pole dance, shibari, and lap dance, all within a supportive community immersed in raw feminine energy.
Over the course of two days, attendees will take part in six carefully curated workshops, complemented by sharing circles, evening exploration sessions, an intimate studio showcase, and curated products from partners such as SPNKD, Kinky Shoes, Mavelle, and Latex Peach. Event fully sold out.
https://www.skindeepcollective.com/
Skin Deep Academy - Workshop Weekend
WORKSHOP WEEKEND (13th & 14th April 2024): workshop weekend at Bar Bario
during this educational weekend, our professionals of seduction will teach our community their skills and secret in their respective sensual art. from lap dance, sensuality coaching, self-tie shibari, initiation to domination our audience gets a personal glimpse into our crafts. on top of the workshops we will also have lectures and performances. the weekend is entirely soldout, with 20 attendees per workshops and more than 60 tickets sold.
Skin Deep Collective - The Launch Party
THE SKIN DEEP LAUNCH PARTY (7th December 2023): launch party at Bar Bario
celebrating authentic expression through the art of pole, neo-burlesque, belly dancing, strip tease and show. With a night full of sapphic performance, we fostered authentic and intimate exchange and community, prioritising queer and feminine identities. We designed and hand made every performer’s outfit, and together with Bario designed s drinks menu and connection cards. The event was sold out at full capacity with over 100 tickets sold.
Sponsored by: JUST PLEASURE, KINKY SHOES, HER (APP), STRIPTOPIA
Skin Deep Cruise - Soft Launch Party
POLE & CRUISE (10th June 2023): soft launch party
in this exclusive pop up cruise the audience enjoyed the canal views of Amsterdam while being tantalised by some pole performances. also, in between acts they could experiment with shibari hand ties
HOW WE OPERATE
The Skin Deep Collective is run by Anna-Liisa and Heta. The core artist group is comprised of 6 artists: Anna-Liisa and Heta themselves, Noana, Eden, Mary Hoochie and Zoe. For shows that include a larger group of performers and crafts, such as the Sensual Circus, SDC invites Eleonore and Qiqi in the lineup. Every artist in the collective has their own, unique artistic depth, and their performance arts is predominantly a solo act, meaning that the individuality of the artist is at the forefront. The connecting factor between them is the dedication to sensuality as an artistic communication tool, and the commitment to authentic feminine expression.
COMMUNITY IMPRESSIONS
“Profound, erotic, captivating, feminists, empowered, sensual, theatre, breathtaking, goosebumps”
“I come to your shows and events to treat myself to a beautiful experience. Each event is inspirational in their own way and helps me along in my creative journey. It is always a sight to behold and I always see new, innovative things.”
“Im very happy to be part of what you create as an audience. what you make feels raw, grassroots, unique, it feels like it comes from a deep desire for expression, liberation. You offer so many options as to how to live ones own sensuality, and there is nothing better in life that feel your own desire without shame and restrictions.”
