Binoche to Share Energy Through Dance
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
Movie star and now dancer Juliette Binoche has come a long way as an artist, but she still believes in exploring the many layers and energies of art. For her, dance is simply another form of expression, and this will be offered at her performance ``in-i'' with English dancer and choreographer Akram Khan.
The 45-year-old actress appeared at the press conference with Khan Wednesday in southern Seoul, dressed in an elegant black dress, smiling and posing for the cameras.
It is the French actress's first visit to Korea, whereas Khan has already paid two visits here.
``It feels like a discovery. I knew (Koreans) had passion for films and so I was eager to come one day. I wanted to learn about the history so I looked up the Internet. (Korea) reminded me a little bit of Poland, as it was also divided in two in the past,'' Binoche said when asked how she felt to be in Korea.
``I did know (about my Korean fans) but I forgot, but then I remembered again when I (arrived) at the airport. I had a hat, was badly dressed, but that's life,'' she added laughing.
Binoche considered dancing back in 2006 when her therapist recommended it. Meeting Khan after watching a performance of his, the two artists decided to work on a special piece together.
``I was always interested in movement. It's about the vibration that you give to the world somehow and it comes from a hidden secret side inside you. I have been very fascinated by this process through acting, painting and writing or dancing. We created a world where you don't know the other, coming from very different places, languages, traditions everything was different. So that was interesting and dangerous in a way but that's what we loved doing. The opportunity to try and find the bridge was fascinating for me,'' she said.
The two artists have been touring cities starting from London to Rome, Sydney, Hong Kong and finally, Korea. The main theme of the performance is love, and Khan explained that it was more about the relationship rather than the emotion itself.
``Primarily, it's about a relationship between two people. What we wanted to explore was the concept of love, how two people dealt with love. So in a way it's a journey, a relationship of how love evolves through that journey over time. And the journey goes through ups and downs,'' he said.
Binoche, star of famous movies like ``The English Patient'' and ``Chocolat,'' lacked previous training as a dancer before, and it was obvious that engaging in a new career was difficult.
``Oh, it was very challenging. What I was very eager to achieve was to (extend) my heart to movement. It was difficult to achieve a common language with (Akram),'' she said.
Binoche added that at the end of the day, they would be exhausted for different reasons, Khan because they had to go through intense emotions, while Binoche would ask him how she could express her emotions through her body.
When asked how he thought of Binoche as a non-professional dancer, Khan smiled as the actress blushed.
``Sometimes knowledge can be negative and can get in the way of new knowledge. It was a blessing as you start (with) a blank canvas, and so in a way it was exploring the canvas. It was filling up with colors as she (danced),'' said Khan.
The Academy Award-winning actress has been in touch with her artistic side her whole life, painting from an early age and also writing, and it seemed that dancing was just another way to express herself.
``I have no idea what life is going to be like tomorrow and I don't want to know. I know I'm thirsty and curious and I want to share with the audience. I know you have this thought that the sky gives you only one talent, it's a very Asian thought and I think it's true, but (the talent) has different forms. You have this energy and it's for you to decide whether you want to reinvent it and make it more alive,'' said Binoche.
Join the two artists with their creative ``in-i'' at the LG Arts Center March 19-21. For more information, visit www.lgart.com.