Singing and Aging

I wholeheartedly agree with Ariane Comstock and dance critic Tobi Tobias,who offered the following in an article called "Enough," which was publishedin the Summer 2006 issue of "Dance Now":"Dance fans are forever complaining about dancing stars who refuse torecognise when the time has come to call it quits and retire from the stage. Two of the last century's ballet divinities, Rudolf Nureyev and MargoFonteyn, continued not merely for years but for decades past their prime,first adjusting their repertoire to diminishing physical capability,eventually creating a performance out of charisma alone...But for us, members of the tribe of dedicated onlookers, I haven an idea. If the artist who probably should retire won't, the viewer must decide whenenough is enough and retire the artist.Here's how: Just stop going to her performances...True, there are few of us who are obliged by their nefarious trade,criticism, to cover whatever moves and is news in certain venues. But evenin New York, a dance capital, we are very few. No one else, apart, perhaps,from the intimates of the dancer in eclipse is obliged to bear witness...Unlike the human body, memory can survive the depredations of time; it neednever be extinguished."And far more in the case of singers than dancers, there are the recordingsto aid that memory.Helene KaplanSeattle, WA