CAT Alumni Student Story – Ruben

We’re celebrating 10 Years of our Centre for Advanced Training (CAT) programme.

For a decade the scheme has been identifying and developing exceptional young dance talent from across the East Midlands. As part of our celebrations we will be shining a light on 10 Dance4 CAT student stories from students past and present.

CAT Student Story #1 – Ruben

Ruben Brown joined the Dance4 CAT programme from the age of 13 and completed his training with us in 2014. He went on to train full time at London Contemporary Dance School and graduated in July 2017. Since graduating Ruben performed for Frauke Requardt & David Rosenberg in their production DeadClub then moving onto working as a company dancer for Thierry Smits’ Compagnie Thor.

Currently, Ruben is working with Blind Summit, a London-based, internationally touring producer of puppet-based theatre under the vision of Artistic Director, Mark Down, one of the world’s leading puppeteers. Ruben is playing the lead role as the wolf in Peter and the Wolf in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Bowl.

“I think the most important thing that the CAT scheme taught me was to embrace all experiences and opportunities! I was lucky enough to work with such a variety of different artists whilst on the scheme at Dance4 that I am open to a lot of different work.

My advice for those at the start of their training would be: be open to new experiences and ways of working! Stay true to your originality as an artist and try not to be too critical of yourself, diversity is what makes our profession so great.”
Ruben Brown

“The piece took to Daniel Hay Gordon’s choreography like a fish to water… The cast, including a giant wooden puppet of Peter, delighted the crowd”
The L.A. Beat

“Blind Summit have proved that puppetry doesn’t need to come with apologies or strings attached”
The Guardian

To get involved in our celebratory year, send us ideas, memories, photos, comments etc here or share via social media platforms using the hashtag #d4catmoments.