Saburo Teshigawara's "Miroku" may seem like a solo performance, but as the work unfolds it quickly becomes apparent that the lighting design does more than simply illuminate the events in the Walker Art Center's McGuire Theater. The choreographer is actually dancing an intimate duet with the subtly shifting colors -- and as the architect of the movement as well as the lighting, set, costume and sound design in this 2007 piece, Teshigawara succeeds in producing an intense and immersive experience for the senses.

Teshigawara's early training was in ballet, but he is now internationally recognized as a leader in Japan's contemporary dance scene (his company, KARAS, was founded in 1985 with Kei Miyata). He has also earned recognition as a visual artist. His multidimensional talent is evident in "Miroku," an installation-like work confined within an onstage room created by three high white walls. Teshigawara seems so small in this imposing space, but midway through the show, when he grabs a handheld light and begins to mischievously distort his shadow like a scene from "Nosferatu," suddenly he's a monster in the box.

The opening minutes of "Miroku" set the tone for Teshigawara's singular movement style, which looks like dance in fast-forward mode or even break-dance with a postmodern flair. His limbs, torso and head are entirely engaged in an array of fluttering, shaking, quivering, zigzagging, undulating motions. Even his pauses feel potentially explosive.

As the work progresses, Teshigawara smoothes out the jagged edges and his body softens. When the light shifts to a soothing blue hue, he appears to be walking through water. At another point he bends forward, his flat back perfectly parallel to the contrasting lines of light on the wall.

Teshigawara compiled the music with Miyata and Neil Griffiths, and the score offers a variety of experiences to support the movement: industrial, meditative, punk rock, distortion. At times the sonic suggestions are subtle, but as the work reaches its climactic moment -- a cascading light display that gradually increases in speed and energy -- the music generates its own pulsating life force and practically overwhelms Teshigawara's presence on the stage.

"Miroku" makes demands on both the artist and audience members. It is a virtuosic display that becomes a stimulating workout for the eyes, ears and the ever-expanding mind.

Caroline Palmer writes regularly about dance.