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 explores 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 and choreographer who developed a politically and artistically radical new approach to dance and movement in revolutionary Kyiv between 1917–1921.