Old San Juan has lots of old-world-Spain style, but with a Puerto Rican flair. You can see it in the food, the architecture and the music. There is now also a fantastic music and dance show offered by the Tablao de Paulette called The Cadencia Andaluza: Espectáculo de Flamenco Puertorriqueño. It blends traditional Spanish flamenco music, song and dance with Puerto Rican musicians and singers.

We were excited to meet the owners and talented artists of Tablao de Paulette (Paulette Beauchamp and Carlos Bedova) during a recent visit to Old San Juan. They have refurbished a number of rooms on the first floor of the Ballaja Building, which is the big square yellow building across from El Morro.

Inside, they have made a dance studio and a small auditorium with a stage. They are extremely passionate about the place, their dance and their music, and they want to share it with everyone. They also want it to be the best, so they invite musicians and vocalists from around the world to participate in their shows.

The Cadencia Andaluza Show

Carlos is the emcee for the show and the primary guitarist. He starts out by giving a short introduction, explaining how he is half Spanish (from Andalucia) and half Puerto Rican. So the show will have a little of both, just like him! The dialog was all in Spanish, but it wasn’t essential to the enjoyment of the show.

Carlos played the flamenco guitar and accompanied a flamenco singer. The singer was from Spain and had a fantastic quality to his singing. You could hear and see the passion in the music and vocals. They did a few songs, and occasionally the dancers would join them. It was easy to tell that all the performers really loved what they were doing and appreciated the others abilities.

Paulette is the lead dancer, and she and the other two dancers were all excellent. Flamenco dance is such a powerful dance. You could see the power and commitment in the dancers, and the stage was vibrating with the stomping of their feet. The entire show was loud, lively and passionate! Ole!

There was another part of the show where Carlos was mentioning how the Spanish music and Puerto Rican music are similar in the basic chords they both use. He played a Flamenco song and then the Puerto Rican musicians came on stage and played a typical Puerto Rican song so that you could hear the similarities in the music. Personally I could not hear the similarities, but I enjoyed it immensely nonetheless! The Puerto Rican musicians were great, there was a quatro player (the quatro is a small guitar-like instrument used in Puerto Rico) that was fantastic.

This is not a show that’s staged specifically for tourists — this is a real dance/music performance aimed at locals, though everyone is welcome to attend and enjoy the show. Seeing a real local show is an experience in itself! Puerto Ricans appreciate music and dance very much. They actively participate in the show by clapping, singing, drumming and are loud and vibrant in their praise of a performance they like. Carlos realizes some tourists may be confused with the narration during the show, so he welcomes people with questions to meet with him after the show and he will answer any questions.

Though the show is open to everyone, children may not fully appreciate the artistry of the show. But they are welcome and there is a reduced price for children.

Other Events at Tablao de Paulette

In addition to this dance show, there are other shows, performances and dance classes that are held throughout the week. The recent schedule included

• shows for children (a magician and a pantomime show)
• a Sunday evening open house for music and dance lovers, featuring Sevillian/Spanish dance
• a free Bomba dance class on Saturdays, featuring live music
• Beginner Salsa classes for tourists are available on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday evenings

The schedule changes monthly, but they keep their website updated, so you can check what shows/classes are available when you are going to be in Old San Juan.

Paulette teaches all types of dance, both as public classes or private lessons. So if you want a Salsa lesson before hitting the dance clubs, or to loosen up with a Pilates class, this is the place! If you want more information, you can email them or call — both Paulette and Carlos speak English and will be glad to help.

And one last thing I want to mention — Paulette and Carlos have a non-profit dance school where she works with children with Down Syndrome and other disabilities. I have seen some of these kids perform and it is inspirational. They love the dancing and the audience applause. If you get a chance to see a class or performance, do it! And they can always use financial help sponsoring trips. You can see them practising on Saturday’s open Bomba class. Visit their web site for more information.

The Details

The Cadencia Andaluza: Espectáculo de Flamenco Puertorriqueño
Saturday nights @ 7pm
show is approximately 1 hour
cost is $20 plus 7% tax – tickets can be purchased at the door or on-line at TicketCenter – www.tcpr.com
Some drinks (wine, beer, soda) and tapas are available for sale at reasonable prices.

The Noches de Sevillana
Sunday nights @ 6:30pm – 11pm
live music
admission is free
Some drinks (wine, beer, soda) and tapas are available for sale at reasonable prices.

The Free Bomba Class
Saturdays @ 2:30pm
live bomba music
first class is free, additional classes are $13.91/person.

You can call 787-775-9438 for more information.

You can visit their web site for more information and to see their up-to-date schedule.

Tablao de Paulette is located on the first floor of the Ballaja Building (near El Morro) in Old San Juan.