INSYNCH
Top, Members of the Haydenettes take note of the new choreography by filming what coaches do so they can look back on it to perfect unison.
Below, Haydenettes with choreographer Adam Blake during boot camp at Waterville Valley, NH
Outside looking in
COACHES USE EXPERTS TO HELP BRING PROGRAMS TO LIFE by KYLEIGH GAFF
Competition season is here, and the syn-
chronized skating community is anticipating what should be a great year for the sport. Ev- eryone is excited to not only see what music teams are skating to, but how their coaches and choreographers have created stories they will tell through their programs. Te choreography, music and costuming,
rather than the technical elements, are what really make each program come to life. Going back to the basics and challenging the skaters with feeling the music is something that is par- amount in earning high program component scores. Months of preparation and training go into performing these routines. Te journey is not complete until the last skater steps off the ice at his or her last competition. Today, in synchronized skating, few
coaches are on this journey alone. Even the most accomplished teams bring in guest coach- es and choreographers to help them create their competition programs. By using experts from other disciplines (ice dancing, pairs, etc.), syn- chronized coaches are able to focus on the big picture of the program and work with others to create their vision. Together they can achieve great things. Te 24-time U.S. champion Haydenettes
have sought help from Adam Blake, who has been choreographing for numerous skaters and shows around the Boston area. Blake is the founder of Ice Cold Combos, and is the artistic
36 NOVEMBER 2016
director of Te Skating Club of Boston’s Teatre On Ice program. Most recently, he helped with the choreography of the Haydenettes’ 2015–16 free skate that earned first place at Worlds. “Adam is extremely innovative with move-
ments and levels, and Saga (Krantz) translates those movements into clean lines that read well across the group,” Haydenettes member Tessa Hedges said. “Guest coaches often have a hard time fo-
cusing on the whole picture of synchro because it is a unique sport with different combinations of shapes and individual movements, but syn- chro skaters are working on mastering other discipline areas, and this is where guest coaches are imperative to our training,” Hedges added. Synchronized skating is unique, as a team
has to have unified skating skills. Choreograph- ing a program that showcases this is no easy feat. Each member of a team must work to be the best possible individual skater. Even se- nior-level skaters are constantly challenged with mastering new steps or choreography. Devin Wang, also of the Haydenettes said, “Getting 16 individuals to move the same way is much harder than two individuals. Choreographing movements that are less complicated and easier to execute becomes a challenge as well.” Both coaches and choreographers want
to see how the skaters work their own magic into the program. Wang, in looking back on the choreography and techniques she has learned, said, “It is extremely beneficial for us to have these extra eyes watching and coaching us when Saga’s eyes go primarily to how the elements and transitions are working.” “It is much easier for skaters to portray a
character they helped develop, and I think our choreographers do an amazing job letting our personalities play into the story of each of our programs,” Hedges added. “Adam develops the prominent emotional intention behind each movement.” “We spend time learning the new steps,
but after a while if Saga sees that it is too diffi- cult to match or it is too complicated, she will modify the movements that look most natural to our skating,” Wang said. Te Haydenettes look to many coaches
outside of the synchronized skating discipline to improve skating skills and add choreogra- phy to their programs. Along with Blake, the team has worked with Jaime Isley, Simon Shna- pir, Greg Zuerlein, Suzy Semanick-Schurman, Genevieve Coulombe and Dmitri Kazarlyga. Kyleigh Gaff is the coordinator of syn- chronized skating at U.S. Figure Skating.
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