LONDON (AFP) - French actress Juliette Binoche embarked on a new stage in her career Thursday, taking to the boards in London in a new dance show she co-directed and performed with top British choreographer Akram Khan.

The Oscar winner, best known for her roles in films like "The English Patient" and "Three Colours: Blue" and who had never before danced professionally, appeared with Khan in the world premier of "In-I" at the National Theatre.

A tribute to love, the show includes brief moments of mime, musical comedy, singing and speaking between the choreography. Binoche has said described the theme as: "What is love? It's an internal adventure."

Binoche, 44, underwent long and arduous training for her role alongside Khan, a dancer well-known for mixing western contemporary dance and kathak, the classical dance from India.

In front of a wall that changed colour periodically, and amid a minimalist set designed by sculptor Anish Kapoor, the two dancers play out all the ups and downs of relationships, from the seduction to the descent into daily grind.

In the London and Paris stages of the tour, a parallel exhibition entitled "Jubilation" will chart the 25 years of Binoche's film career using her paintings and portraits of people with whom she has worked.

Source: AFP