Beret Arcaya has successfully maintained concurrent careers in classical singing and acting, both performing and teaching. She added the Alexander Technique to her teaching repertoire upon certification in 1981. Students from around the world seek her expertise in Alexander Technique for various reasons, including chronic pain, sport and repetitive strain injury, pain from accidents, performance anxiety, or simply a desire for greater poise and self-possession in daily life.
Beret is among the few Alexander Technique teachers worldwide to undergo complete retraining in the field. She earned her teaching certificate in Alexander Technique at the American Center for the Alexander Technique – New York Teacher Training Program (ACAT-NY) – in 1981, studying under the esteemed Judith Liebowitz. In 1996, despite having a thriving teaching practice, she chose to retrain from the beginner level with Walter and Dilys Carrington at The Constructive Teaching Center (CTC) in London, where she studied and later taught until 2010.
Beret’s acting career began at the age of 15 with Paramount Pictures. She studied acting for four years with Uta Hagen while simultaneously receiving vocal training at the Juilliard School. After nine years of acting, she shifted her focus to 18th-century vocal music and returned to conservatory in 1971 at the Manhattan School of Music. She met Dr. Robert Abramson there and under his tutelage began a decades-long study of the Emile Jacques Dalcroze method of music education.
Reflecting on her journey, Beret says, “I think I must embody the law of education because everything teaches me a lesson.”
Her diverse performance portfolio includes Equity summer stock, soap operas (NBC, CBS, and ABC), films (MGM), chamber music, and opera. She made her New York debut at Avery Fischer Hall and has performed across the US, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, and Venezuela.
Beret has integrated her knowledge of music, voice and the Alexander Technique in master classes for singers and musicians across Europe, notably at the Salzburg Easter Festival under the auspices of the Kominsky Foundation. She served on the ACAT board from 1982 to 1985 and was a founding member of the North American Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique (NASTAT) – now the American Society for the Alexander Technique (AmSAT). She is also a founding member of the Spanish Society (APTAE) and a member of the British Society of Teachers (STAT).
Additionally, she has published a new translation of Manuel Garcia Jr.’s The Complete Treatise on the Art of Singing Volumes 1 & 2, combining the principles of the Alexander Technique with Garcia’s treatise. This publication includes supplementary recordings, notes, and analysis, and is available exclusively as an online book at www.habitandchoice.com/e-book-garcia1-garcia2/.