Re presentation of the alcantareas, or any other broms, I think it boils down to personal choice. If it's for an official show - I don't know what the regulations are.
We have some 'purists' here in Oz who never cut any of the older leaves off, nor trim any damaged ones. I certainly prefer the cleaner look, and cut off all dead lower leaves of my alcantareas - both in ground and in pots. I also try to cut off any ends of damaged leaves in the shape of the leaf.

Cheers,
Kerry

But you know, the Prado restaurant in Balboa Park always has an impressive potted Alcantarea just at the entrance. It's in a gigantic Chinese glazed pot, with a few other plants around its base, and it makes a stunning statement. It has perfect form, is kept neatly trimmed, and shows off that incredible blue-green color with some burgundy tipping. Also I've seen plants in my neighborhood planted outdoors on a slope in full sun, with that nice deep red color, and the dry leaves left on them. They also looked great.

I've always kept mine trimmed. It was in a black nursery pot (splitting) inside a larger clay pot. I don't recommend this arrangement -- I removed more than one kind of "nasty critter" from between the pots, ugh. Anyway, I have a couple of dead leaves I was going to trim, then I thought I'd ask the question first.

Also, is there any recommended method for the trimming? I was cutting off what I could easily reach, not all the way to the base, but I think this holds too much water, promoting an unpleasant sliminess, and I was going to clean them all the way to the base. Comments?

That doesn't happen to my alcantareas when I cut the old bottom brown leaves off. The new bottom leaves might droop without the support of any lower ones - sometimes a good effect, other times a bit ugly if asymmetrical - but they hold their colour and health, and don't go brown until their usual demise.

K