Toni Machi (she/her) is an intimacy choreographer, movement specialist, and body mechanic based in Brooklyn. A former burlesque performer in New York nightlife, Toni now works across opera, theatre, and new works, helping performers move their bodies in safe, sustainable, and expressive ways. Collaborations include Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Fringe Opera, The Mercury Store, Opera Mississippi, City Lyric Opera, Third Eye Theater Ensemble, Temple University, and Con Limón Productions’ Off-Broadway premiere of Scouts.

Beyond the rehearsal room, Toni has served as a guest lecturer at Temple University, advocated for reproductive justice through three years with Planned Parenthood, and taught flying trapeze with Trapeze School New York. She holds a BA in Physical Theater from Columbia College Chicago, is certified in Mental Health First Aid through the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, and has trained extensively with Intimacy Directors & Coordinators (IDC, certification pending), Theatrical Intimacy Education and New York Combat for Stage & Screen.

“The body says what words cannot.” – Martha Graham