This is a technique employed by drummers such as Billy Cobham, Simon Phillips, Gary Husband and many others. By playing the Hi Hat with the left hand and thus never crossing the arms, not only does it build strength and dexterity on the weaker side but it also opens up endless possibilities by freeing up the right hand to access the entire drum set with complete freedom. This takes quite a bit of perserverance but the results are well worth the work and make the idea of going back to the standard crossed arms style playing almost illogical.
These excerpts demonstrate a selection of possibilities that opend handed playing provides. (less info)