Hi Samudra-Glad to hear how you are doing on the journey, hadn't heard from you lately on the topic. Yes, the Bernstein intros are truly first rate. I can't recommend them more highly. Great stuff!In terms of modern classical composers, you know Phillip Glass is really something special and his collaboration with Ravi Shankar "Passages" is a classic, a masterpiece. Check it out!It's at:
http://tinyurl.com/6jqa6Sure, if you want to study Latin dance, it really all starts with the island in my book. ENA (Escuela Nacional de Artes) is definitely the place to go in Havana to study dance or music (A national arts university, based on the extremely disciplined Russian conservatory tradition of study) I've been to the pearl of the Antilles quite a few times and to Havana 3 or 4 times (but generally I head straight for the beloved hills of Oriente).But remember, in Cuba they don't dance on the one beat! You hold everything and move on the two instead.Some Riquenos will try to tell you that the Cubans move on the one just like they do, but that just isn't true, no way.Also, you can really improve your dancing there because all Cuban children (in the countryside at least) are taught to do all their steps on a one-foot square bandanna, to prepare them for the crowded dance flooors.Matthew