Solid Foundation Allows Lexettes to Explore New Horizons

The 2022 Lexettes are different from previous junior squads Lee Chandler has coached.
 
The group, made up of 16 athletes in their late teens, is more advanced in their skating ability. As Chandler watched them in the early stages of the season, he knew he wanted to capitalize on their strength and strive for new heights.
 
"I wanted to push the skaters for their own development, as well as start to try something new in synchro," he said. "I don't feel that we're pushing the boundaries and creating new elements or anything, but it's more about trying to push the skaters to do something a little bit different that is out of their comfort zones and having to skate a little bit more freely.
 
"[I also wanted to] explore different types of movement that are similar to a modern dance or something that is a little bit more lyrical, which is definitely, not seen that much in synchronized skating currently in my opinion."
           
To achieve that goal, he choreographed a free program with a theme that is more mature than what would typically be seen at the junior level. The performance is crafted around the idea of overcoming adversity, and it forces each skater to draw on their own experiences to portray that idea to the audience. For one of the Lexettes, that task has proven to be quite the challenge.
 
"It's definitely a step out of the box for me personally," team member Ava Monaco said. "It's such a difficult skill, being able to use your whole body and your whole face to project those emotions."
 
To help the team become comfortable with being vulnerable on the ice, Chandler has held 'theater practices', where he plays various genres of music and instructs the team to move however the melody calls them. Monaco believes those practices played a pivotal role in how the skaters' learned to express various sentiments on the ice.
 
"I think that really brought out a sense of emotion," she said. "[It's a] different kind of thing, where it's not just choreographed and him telling us what to do."
 
Fellow team member Anna Chong says that the way the Lexettes coaching staff listens to the team helps, too.
 
"[They] have always been open to our own opinions on what we do on and off the ice," she said. "We always have a say. If we think an arm [movement] is better for, like, a different part of the program, we'll always say something. And usually, if we have a say in it, there's more passion behind the movement."

Another way that Chandler is pushing the team to reach new horizons this season is through music choice. The Lexettes' short program is set to a piece sung in Latvian, and trying to connect with a song that is in a different language is another curveball.
 
"Rather than listening to the lyrics, we have to listen to the melody and the beat," Chong said. "And we use those to express instead of the meaning behind the words, which is very different for me."
 
One thing that has eased the transition to more advanced programs is the Lexettes' solid foundation in basic skating skills. Chandler places a heavy emphasis on the fundamentals of the sport because he believes they pave the way to a stronger overall performance.
 
"I always think that if the feet know what they are doing and are strong… it allows the upper body to take more of a front role in the performance and add character in with the movement," he said.
 
To ensure that everyone has a solid grasp on the foundations of skating, the Lexettes spend time during each practice working on the simplest of skating moves. According to Monaco, that time does more than pay off during competition. It strengthens the team's bond.
 
"It's such a big thing at Hayden to start with the basics, because I think it gets everyone on the same page to start off with, especially being a team where a lot of people come from outside clubs wanting to be on the Haydenettes, and the Lexettes," she said. "I think, with all the different skating styles we get, we're so lucky to see how the different skating styles come together."
 
It is undeniable that Chandler and the rest of the Lexettes' coaching staff hold the team to high standards, but with those expectations also come great rewards. Recently, Olympic choreographer Benoit Richaud visited practice to observe the team and give feedback on ways they could continue working to improve. Despite his vast experience with the sport, he had not done a ton of work with synchronized skating, and Chandler hoped that an outside perspective would lead to feedback that he and his staff had not thought of.
 
Monaco and Chong said the opportunity to work with such a well-respected choreographer is one they will not soon forget. He showed the team ways to sharpen their movements on the ice, but perhaps more importantly, he taught them how to keep an open mind while they are skating.
 
To Monaco, keeping an open mind means being unafraid to try new things and remaining patient when what is new does not click right away. She also believes it helps the team skate better as a single unit.

"I think a lot of the time, skating with a group of 16 rather than one is a lot trickier when you're trying to synchronize hard steps but also make it look advanced and captivating," she said. "And I think keeping an open mind definitely contributes to teamwork. Because that is really the key thing when we're trying to reach a goal."
 
This year's Lexettes squad may be different from junior teams Chandler has coached in the past, but the very things that set them apart are the same attributes that prime them for success at the Hevelius Cup this week and beyond.