Victor Ruban’s work, which has been deeply impacted by the Russian war of aggression in his homeland of Ukraine, exemplifies how contemporary dance can become intertwined with practices that promote societal and cultural change. Since the invasions of 2014 and 2022 Ruban has been working to support culture and education and highlighting the essential role that dance, art, and body awareness play in strengthening the resilience of democratic societies.

As the cofounder of several platforms for Ukrainian artists and researchers, Ruban is a tireless advocate for intercultural exchange in Europe and beyond. He has contributed greatly to raising the profile of Ukrainian artists and opening up professional opportunities for younger generations. He has been a teacher at the Choreography and Dance Sports Department of the National University of Ukraine on Physical Education and Sport since 2024.

Since the outbreak of Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine, alongside his artistic and curatorial work, Ruban has been investigating how dance and somatic practices can address the embodied trauma of war. Together with choreographer and psychologist Liudmyla Mova, Ruban developed a new program for the psycho-emotional recovery of Ukrainians with creative and artistic activities. Part of this involves providing dance and somatic techniques within an intensive program that lasts three to five days that helps soldiers, instructors, and commanders cope with the extraordinary physical and mental stress of wartime.

His research work at Freie Universität Berlin will explore the history of dance, memory culture, and future prospects for the medium. As a theorist and historian of dance, Ruban researches methods of meaningful engagement with Ukrainian dance heritage. His work with students in the Critical Dance Studies master’s degree program at Freie Universität will investigate what it means to experiment with reenacting dance works by Bronislava Nijinska, a renowned ballet dancer from the early twentieth century who developed a politically and artistically radical new approach to dance and movement in revolutionary Kyiv between 1917–1921.

About the Valeska Gert Visiting Professorship

The Valeska Gert Visiting Professorship at the Institute for Theater Studies has been in existence since the 2006/2007 winter semester. This program is supported by Freie Universität Berlin, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), and the Akademie der Künste Berlin. The guest professorship is named after one of the most innovative dancers of the historical avant-garde, Valeska Gert (1892–1978) and promotes exchange between artistic practice and academic research. A core aspect of the professorship is working together with students in the dance studies master’s degree program through joint projects combining theory and practice.