The Uses of Qigong as Preparation for Alba Technique Training
* By Gina Priano-Keyser * September 2026 *
Abstract
This study investigates the role of qigong in preparing students for Alba Technique, a method rooted in Alba Emoting. By analysing the shared physiological principles of both practices, the research explores how qigong supports embodied awareness, emotional regulation, and emotional release within Alba Technique training. Drawing from personal practice, observations, and interviews with ten participants based in New York City, Los Angeles, London, Kyiv, and Wexford, the study examines how qigong functions as a preparatory and companion practice for emotionally demanding performance work. This approach enables performers to work with emotion through physiological processes rather than emotional recall. Insights from master teacher Patricia Angelin further contextualise the relationship between qigong and Alba Technique within actor training. The findings indicate that qigong supports breath control, posture, grounding, and stamina while helping performers engage Alba Technique with physical awareness and control. More broadly, the study contributes to ongoing discussions surrounding embodied practice and emotional safety in contemporary actor training.
About the author(s)
Gina Priano-Keyser is a theatre performer, educator, and practitioner whose work explores the intersections of actor training, embodied practice, performance, and pedagogy. She holds an M.F.A. in Theatre from the University of Idaho and has taught theatre arts in public schools for nearly three decades. She is an adjunct professor at Union College of New Jersey and serves on the board of the Speech and Theatre Association of New Jersey. A member of the Association of Theatre Movement Educators, SAG-AFTRA, and Actors’ Equity Association, she brings professional and educational perspectives to her work as an artist-teacher.www.ginapriano.com
