Dance & Theatre Company


STAY HYDRATED“How to do much about little.Stay Hydrated is a delightful quartet that explores and expands the simple and common action of drinking to its extreme. The challenge is set in a candid yet playful manner, inviting the 4 highly skilled performers to come up with as many ways as possible to ingest water. Done with great repartee the partly improvised proposition is astonishingly entertaining and absolutely refreshing.”-Fabrice Mazliah, Frankfurt based Choreographer

Useless Machines is an international dance and physical theatre company. Composed of four members coming from three different countries (Sweden/France/Korea).
Our interest lies in exploring the themes of theatrics, performativity, humor and nonsense primarily through the medium of dance. We use our skills and creativity to create innovative and humorous pieces that challenge the conventions of dance and push the boundaries of what can be put on stage.
Our Collective is known for its nonsensical yet playful approach to dance, and we often incorporate elements of theater, comedy, and satire into our performances.
We are not afraid to poke fun and be vulnerable with ourselves or at our societal norms, and to use our wit and humor to engage and entertain our audiences.

Members

Previous happenings

WhatPlaceWhenEvent
STAY HYDRATEDBERLIN, GERMANY15 AUG 2024PLATFORM 14
STAY HYDRATEDPAMPLONA, SPAIN10 AUG 2024DANZAS DANZAS MALTIDOS
STAY HYDRATEDBRUSSELS27 JULY 2024TOP FLOOR FESTIVAL
CLUB MED DANCING WORKSHOPMAISON ROBERT JONES, BRUSSELS23 JULY 2024 
SYMPHONICA IMPRO SHOWMAISON ROBERT JONES, BRUSSELS23 JULY 2024 
Stay HydratedBerlin, Germany23 Sep, 2023Blank Check Festival
ResidencyLes Yeres, France29 Aug - 6 SepUM+others
Stay HydratedNamestovo, Slovakia19 Aug 2023Tanecno
Club Med Dancing WorkshopNamestovo, Slovakia19 Aug 2023Tanecno
Club Med Dancing WorkshopBrussels, Belgium29 July, 2023Top Floor Festival
Stay HydratedGdansk, Poland27 July 2023DO Festival
ResidencyDalstuga, Sweden5-16 June 2023 
Stay HydratedFrankfurt, Germany9,10 Sep 2022ZUKUNFT TANZ
Stay HydratedBerlin, Germany19 Aug 2022PLATFORM 14

future happenings

WhatPlaceWhenEvent
Stay HydratedChateauroux, France24-25 May 2025.
Stay HydratedKrakow, Poland21-22 June 2025.
ResidencyGothenburg, Sweden2025.
ResidencyGothenburg, Sweden2025.

uselessmachinesdtc@gmail.com

Elias started his dance and performing journey in Falun, Sweden, dancing intensely in the local hobby school for some years in my late teens. Later decided to educate himself in the artform, first in Härnösand, Sweden and later at SEAD in Salzburg, Austria.He is interested in
choices, timing, contact, tension, flow and humor.

Simon Chatelain is a 28-year-old French performer and choreographer. He received his training at the National Circus School of Rosny sous Bois, the Conservatoire National de Bordeaux, and the Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance. As a performer, Simon has participated in a variety of productions, including works by Olivier Dubois, Omer Keinan, Agnes Galpin, Konstantinada Efthimiadou, Nicolas Vladyslav, Helder Seabra, Emily Spearing, Oded Graf, Manuel Ronda, Tom Weksler, and Eduardo Torroja. He has also performed with Isaac Newton and Milla Koistinen. Simon is also a founder of a dance collective called Useless Machines where he co-created the first piece of the collective called « Stay Hydrated » performed at various festivals such as Platform 14 in Berlin and Zukunfttanz in Frankfurt.

elliot bio

Hyungjin Lee is a 26 years old performer and dancer from South Korea. He trained dance and performance at Hansung University, Contemporary Dance major in Seoul, Korea and moved to Palucca Hochschule für Tanz in Dresden, Germany to study Classical performance and later educated and trained Contemporary dance at Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance Salzburg, Austria. He has worked with Artist Elina Pirinen, Hillel Kogan, Milla Koistinen, Kinetic Orchestra, Manuel Ronda, Paul Blackman, Isaac Spencer, Meytal Blanaru, Fighting Monkeys, Edivaldo Ernesto, Helder Seabra, Annamari Keskinen, Sade and Christina Alleyne. Through these processes and works, He motivated to work in diverse creations in choreography, musicality, stage presence and dramaturgy. Hyungjin Lee is also a founder of a dance collective Useless Machines where he created and performed the first piece « Stay Hydrated » performed at various festivals such as Platform 14 in Berlin and Zukunfttanz in Frankfurt.