If islanders have yet to try out a contemporary dance show at ArtSpring, the upcoming production of Light & Metal will be one experience not to be missed.

Tara Cheyenne of Tara Cheyenne Performance and Day Helesic of MovEnt will bring their co-production Light & Metal to the stage on Thursday, Nov. 5.

Catching up with the two Vancouver-based dancers in between dates of their Made in B.C. tour, they spoke about what brought them together for the two pieces — bANGER and Surge — in this exciting double bill.

Although the two dancers, who are friends and colleagues, create work that is very different, it is also very similar in its aesthetics in terms of power and dynamic movement. “bANGER and Surge are both dealing with power, but in different ways,” explained Cheyenne.

Cheyenne’s bANGER, rated one of the top shows of 2006 by the Vancouver Sun, is an extraordinarily entertaining dance-theatre hybrid that follows its main character Ivan — a teenager deeply into heavy metal music — through the fast-paced and painful world of high school. Through a playful mix of movement and dialogue, Cheyenne tells the story of his challenges as a social reject surrounding girls, bullying and life as a “banger.”

“bANGER is an idea that’s been simmering in the back of my creative mind for a long time,” said Cheyenne, whose background is in both theatre and dance.

“When I was in high school, I was into heavy metal . . . and [as an adult] I still see a lot of these teenage kids, especially boys, who are still kind of outcast even though metal is a massive genre.”

Cheyenne, whose specialty is character-driven solo work, thought it would be fun and fascinating to play a 16-year-old head-banging boy.

“Strangely enough, it’s a very natural character for me,” she said. “He’s vulnerable and he’s exploring his power and powerlessness. I’m always interested in how we cope as individuals with the struggles in life. Plus, I really like to bang my head!”

In the second dance piece, dancers Helesic, Amber Funk Barton and Meredith Kalaman delve into an investigation of power in the more abstract and contemporary Surge.

Helesic, who choreographed the dynamic piece, describes it as “playing with the ideas of physical industry, machines, industrial soundscapes, electricity and the power that comes from these sources, as well as how this reflects on interpersonal relationships.

“The movement style is very kinetic and very dynamic,” said Helesic.

“It’s very much full throttle with lots of energy. We’re pretty tired by the end of it, but it’s lots of fun.”

A co-production that combines more abstract dance with dance-theatre is a great way to introduce contemporary dance to an audience, the dancers explained. Contemporary dance usually does not have much text or dialogue between characters, and for Helesic it is a physical exploration which is movement based and movement driven.

“A lot of emotional states are expressed physically through the body,” she said.

In comparison, audiences encounter a definitive narrative in dance-theatre, Cheyenne explained. “It’s like the difference between a portrait painting and an abstract painting. Dance-theatre is more recognizable in a way, at least on a more literal level.”

Dance, for Cheyenne, is a fantastic vehicle for saying the un-sayable things within a character. “They dance one thing, they say another. It’s a way of revealing contradiction.”

Light & Metal will no doubt be extremely entertaining.

“It’s very accessible to a broad demographic of people,” agreed Helesic. “bANGER is hilarious and there are moments of comedy, moments of great drama and great dancing.”

In Surge, Helesic feels there is an accessibility found in the power of the body and the sheer physicality of what the three dancers are doing. Exciting lighting will also provide some wow factor.

“This sense of light sculpture is very appealing and very dramatic. And with the layers of industrial soundscape on top of beautiful piano melodies . . . there’s something for everyone.”

The show, which provides islanders the opportunity to take in some high-calibre dancing, is also an appealing production for young people.

“There is some coarse language in bANGER, but I think as a teenager, you’ve most likely heard it all before,” Helesic laughed.

For more information on Tara Cheyenne Performance or MovEnt, and for sneak peeks of the upcoming show, check out www.movent.ca, www.taracheyenne.com or madeinbc.org.

Tickets ($24) are available through the ArtSpring ticket centre at 250-537-2102.

Youth tickets cost only $5.