The revered Juliette Binoche takes the stage to dance for the first time with choreographer Akram Khan in their collaboration in-i currently premiering at the NFT. The show is a collection of love stories either acted out or danced, and obviously Binoche and Khan shine in different areas. Even though I like the idea of using acting or dancing to represent different kinds of love (according to the ancient Greeks, there are 14 ways of love), I'm not sure if the pair has thought through the show completely and let it brew enough to become more mature. There are segments that are way too long than they should be and the dance routines seem to duplicate itself from story to story as a lot of flailing arms and interchanging aggressive moves tend to dominate the dance portions. Basically, it can't create consistent audience interest and it feels like it repeats itself.Despite its shortcomings, in-i was still enjoyable, and La Binoche's amazing acting, especially her facial gestures, stand out even when she's dancing. Her intense dance training also shows as she keeps up with Khan rather well. However, her moves don't seem as natural and smooth as Khan's and it shows that she's not a professional dancer. Having said that, I doubt Binoche decided to take on this project to prove to the world that she can dance as well as she can act. I believe she was at the helm of this project because she had something to say about love, and her voice, even though foreign to the world of dance, does bring a certain level of depth to Khan's movements. What I can surmise from the show is that love has a personal definition for all of us and everyone's understanding and expectation of love will be shaped by our past and present.
All in all, a passable try, but I hope her next project will feel more mature and polished.
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