Biography
MAWU Co-founder, Company Member
Christine “Tine Machine” Gatchalian, started her first tap class at age 3, and has been dancing ever since. Raised in California, she danced with Bay Area dance groups Future Shock Oakland, Culture Shock San Francisco, UC Berkeley Dance Team and Funkanometry SF using her skills in jazz, hip hop and street jazz. She moved to New York City in 2004 to train and to immerse herself in the underground house dance scene. During her 9 years there, she was exposed to the many styles that the city’s rich dance culture had to offer, such as voguing, waacking, dancehall, hustle, tango, salsa, and capoeira. In addition, sessions with the MAWU ladies has improved her abilities and influenced her style due to the diverse backgrounds of each member. She also performed with House of Dangerkat for Juste Debout in Paris and in London for Fashion Week. Her urge to discover the roots of street dance led her to studying lindy hop, charleston and vernacular jazz. In 2014, she was awarded the title of Frankie Manning Ambassador by the Frankie Manning Foundation. Whether it’s the stage or a dark club, Tine Machine is happiest when she’s dancing. Her goal is to bring that joy to her audience and dance partners as well. She is now based in London, but her heart will always be with New York and the Ladies of MAWU.
