Transforming Performance: Alba Method Comes to "Our Town"

Our esteemed VSC Independent Researcher, Anne Marie Damman, is collaborating with Research Supervisor Dr. Rockford Sansom on her new project, which studies the process of using Alba in rehearsal.

The Alba Method, or Alba Emoting, offers a ground-breaking approach to understanding emotion, treating them as physical states. By using specific postural, facial, and respiratory patterns, rooted in the psychophysiological research of Susanna Bloch and others, individuals can consciously access emotional states. This technique has proven effective in psychotherapy for releasing held emotions and trauma, and in acting, it provides a safe, non-traumatizing path to achieving realistic emotional performances. Its alignment with the work of luminaries like Paul Ekman and Frans de Waal strengthens its position as a truly forward-thinking foundation of modern actor training.

As a certified Alba Method teacher, Anne has experience in training actors in a physically-based, scientifically-backed way to access emotional clarity in their work, and that is the area she is interested in pursuing for her next phase of work as a researcher, artist, and educator. For her research, Anne is taking MFA acting candidates on a transformative journey. Through classwork and projects, she'll train these actors, who are new to the effector patterns, enabling them to grasp and seamlessly integrate these techniques into their performance of the renowned play, "Our Town." Anne’s research aims to liberate them from the stress of "chasing" emotions, allowing them to focus entirely on the art of acting, confident that their bodies can authentically portray the play's heightened emotional states.

Dr. Sansom, a prominent voice teacher and communication coach, brings extensive experience to this collaboration. He has worked with senior leaders in business and politics, as well as actors and singers in major global productions. His academic background includes a PhD in education, an MFA in theatre, and multiple voice certifications. He was also the editor of the academic journal Voice and Speech Review for seven years, instrumental in its achieving Scopus Q1 status, and has authored or co-authored five books, including Voice Work, a leading text in vocal training. Recognised as a VASTA Lifetime Distinguished Member for his significant achievements in voice research, Dr. Sansom's expertise in connecting voice to teaching, learning, and research methods will be invaluable to Anne's project.