If their season ends at Nationals or at Euros, then they should take a page out of S/K's book and work their booties off, but there is more than just hard work they need to work on from this point on but also a better strategy. Maybe we should compile a list of our suggestions and send it to them seriously. Today was a wake up call for their entire team.
1) Coaches: To stay with current coaches or to find new coaches, that is the question. I feel like they are very attached to their coaches, and won't leave for that reason, but is their desire to be on the top of the podium stronger to the point that they would get new coaches. There is also the option of consulting or getting an additional coaches. Platov and Carol Lane are the coaches that come to my mind right now. I also say they should meet with Chesnichenko and Nechaeva to work on lifts ( they had fabulous wow lifts for their teams especially Kriengkrairut/ Giulietti-Schmitt who have about the same height difference as Elena and Ruslan) as well as matching leg lines and matching feet (e.g. Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates were exquisite with this). I'm tempted to tweet Elena and Ruslan videos of these lifts from Chesnichenko and Nechaeva's past teams to get their creative juices flowing.
Ruslena' current coaches need to make some major improvements too if they want their teams to succeed.
2) Styling: The only costumes of Elena's and Ruslan's I have liked was for Carmen and if I remember correctly his was a copy of one of Najarro's costumes. Seriously, they need a stylist who can create better costumes that enhance the programs and their bodies/lines as well as a better costume maker who can make beautiful costumes that look expensive. One of my biggest complaints this season was the SD costumes looked unfinished and didn't give a rock-element what so ever. Even Y/M had dreadful costumes, so their entire team needs to get on Pinterest, subscribe to some fashion magazines, etc. for costume ideas and styling.
3) Programs/choreography: This year was a big learning lesson in this department. I loved their programs, but I can see why others didn't like them. The SD still needs refinement. I feel like they can still try to think outside the box, but do something to keep elements that make it partially traditional (e.g. They could have tried a gothic waltz instead of the traditional prince/princess theme). A lot of you have made great points about changing the difficulty of things like changing their twizzles especially when it hurts their scores rather helping. I would like them to try Christopher Dean, Phillip Askew, or Tom Dickson as far as choreographers. Elena and Ruslan need programs that play to their chemistry. For the SD next year, I strongly suggest they avoid hip hop and just do blues/swing. I hope they channel the sensuality of Michelle Pfeiffer and Jeff Bridges in The Fabulous Baker Boys
http://youtu.be/6RKVDNVu5I0 for their SD. For their FD, they could try something outside the box or music not used before (but something that builds or helps in telling their story/theme) and still something that where their connection is at the forefront.
4) PR: next season, I say they put out a video describing their programs. One American team did I it this year to explain their Beethoven program (he was Beethoven and she was the music) and this really enhanced the program for me.
As we used to chant in school "No surrender, no retreat, look forward, not back. The best is yet to come."
