Can someone please point me in the direction of an online dance guide?
www.dance.net sign up and you can ask any question you like I use it all the time!
What was Igor Stravinsky's most controversial work?
Probably Firebird, it caused a riot after the performance. He studied under Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov whose use of "Oriental," motif was an innovator of harmony, color and melody, breaking tradition from the German school of harmony and thought. Obviously Stravinsky wanted to make a name for himself and distance his creations from Korsakov, but you can hear simularitys and of course Stravinsky went on to be as influential and successful. A good introduction is the following: Stravinsky's compositional career was notable for its stylistic diversity. He first achieved international fame with three ballets commissioned by the impresario Sergei Diaghilev and first performed in Paris by Diaghilev's Ballets Russes: The Firebird (1910), Petrushka (1911) and The Rite of Spring (1913). The last of these transformed the way in which subsequent composers thought about rhythmic structure and was largely responsible for Stravinsky's enduring reputation as a musical revolutionary who pushed the boundaries of musical design. His "Russian phase" which continued with works such as Renard, The Soldier's Tale and Les Noces, was followed in the 1920s by a period in which he turned to neoclassical music. The works from this period tended to make use of traditional musical forms (concerto grosso, fugue and symphony), drawing on earlier styles, especially from the 18th century. In the 1950s, Stravinsky adopted serial procedures. His compositions of this period shared traits with examples of his earlier output: rhythmic energy, the construction of extended melodic ideas out of a few two- or three-note cells and clarity of form, and of instrumentation.
What is the difference between ballet and modern dance?
Classical Ballet is very soft hands and neck but tight pointed feet - ballet is much softer and slower and is known for wearing tutus, leotard, tights and either pointe shoes or ballet slippers with ribbons. Modern is very isolated moves and involves flexed hands and feet and happier smiley faces whereas ballet is a subtle pleasant facial expression. Modern is a much faster tempo and normally wear a colourful leotard and leggings.
Who were/are some artists who have dealt with personal pain through artistic expression?
too many of them, but that's how they express them through their creativity. Good enough, yes?