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Carla Lopez was a dancer at the Bagdad, according to Aziza!'s Tales of North Beach on the Gilded Serpent... She danced in San Francisco for several years before moving to New York where she taught classes. Texas-based dancer Z-Helene mentions Carla as one of her most influential instructors (she also mentions Bobby Farrah, Anahid Sofian, and Elena Lentini) Today, Carla is no longer dancing, is married (to her second husband, a Turkish man), and living in the San Francisco Bay Area.
My mother discovered that her cousin, Carla Lopez, was a belly dancer back in the 1970s, had performed at the United Nations, and specialized in the Turkish style. At a family get together, my mother met Carla, and this is in fact the same Carla Lopez mentioned in Aziza!'s article. I had no idea there was another dancer in the family, let alone another professional. When my mother showed Carla my business card, Carla responded with, "How did she learn Turkish dance?" My mother replied that I learned on the East Coast, and Carla responded, "Ahhh... that makes sense because there's very little Turkish here."
I've always felt a connection to both the Turkish-American styles that came out of New York, as well as the dancers of San Francisco that can be traced through the Jamila Salimpour "line". Now I know I have a relative who is very connected to both!
My mother discovered that her cousin, Carla Lopez, was a belly dancer back in the 1970s, had performed at the United Nations, and specialized in the Turkish style. At a family get together, my mother met Carla, and this is in fact the same Carla Lopez mentioned in Aziza!'s article. I had no idea there was another dancer in the family, let alone another professional. When my mother showed Carla my business card, Carla responded with, "How did she learn Turkish dance?" My mother replied that I learned on the East Coast, and Carla responded, "Ahhh... that makes sense because there's very little Turkish here."
I've always felt a connection to both the Turkish-American styles that came out of New York, as well as the dancers of San Francisco that can be traced through the Jamila Salimpour "line". Now I know I have a relative who is very connected to both!
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Washington, D.C.
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Re: Carla Lopez, aka Zaida, aka Khadija al-Nakhla
Sat, July 23, 2005 - 3:31 PMHow 'bout that! That is very cool! Nakhla brought much of the arabic stylings from the west coast to the east coast, like dancing on glasses (awalim style) and balancing champagne bottles on her head. Anahid mentioned that Nakhla also helped her to put a a framework down in her nightclub shows, a loose choreography. Anahid gives big props to her.
The world, a small place, no? -
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Re: Carla Lopez, aka Zaida, aka Khadija al-Nakhla
Sun, July 24, 2005 - 7:46 AMOh wow! That's so awesome... It's funny because my mom and i were surprised and not surprised that there was another dancer in the family. :) I had a feeling that you might know a little bit more about her, too. heh. -
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Re: Carla Lopez, aka Zaida, aka Khadija al-Nakhla
Tue, August 14, 2007 - 7:25 AMHey everyone,
I know this thread is two years old but I would like to comment on Nakhla.
Many people don't know it but Nakhla was one of the most skilled costumers of the day. This was before vendors started bringing back Madame Abla costumes from Egypt and in those days if you wanted a bellydance costume you either made it yourself or found some to do it for you.
Check out: www.zhelene.com/RickZIke.jpg for a Nakhla original that she made for my wife, Z-Helene. It might look simple by todays standards but at the time it was considered extremely ornate and I personally thinks it's still beautiful. Helene still has it and someday our daughter might perform in it.
Take care, Rick Fink -
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Re: Carla Lopez, aka Zaida, aka Khadija al-Nakhla
Sat, September 1, 2007 - 4:22 PMNakhla and I worked at the Britannia in NYC together way back in those days. Her coin costumes were spectacular. She had great hip articulations and she was a very musical dancer. I loved her dancing. Her birthday is next Saturday I believe..... -
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Re: Carla Lopez, aka Zaida, aka Khadija al-Nakhla
Thu, October 25, 2007 - 3:27 PMHello, This is Nakhlah....Yes, Sabah, my birthday was just when you thought it was. Yours was September the 3rd as I remember. Even if I don't hear from you, every year you come to my mind when it's birthday time.
The music at the Britannia. was spectacular. Those were the days, weren't they?
The Haliyani brothers with Panyoti and his fantastic clarinet. What a privilege it was to have been able to listen to them and work with them. Remember the Egyptian Gardens? Remember Saffet?
All the sunflower seeds on the floor?....and don't forget the broken dishes, cups and whatever else they could throw and break. God bless Bacchus, he was such a good boss.
What was nice about the Britannia is that they really appreciated good dancers. The audience demanded it because they loved to dance themselves and if they were going to sit down for a dancer, she'd better be worth it. -
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Re: Carla Lopez, aka Zaida, aka Khadija al-Nakhla
Sat, October 27, 2007 - 8:31 PMThank you for joining to post, Nakhla. I think it's so important that those who were there share the details with the new generation of dancers... I still think it's so bizarre, and yet not, that there's another dancer in the family. :)
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Re: Carla Lopez, aka Zaida, aka Khadija al-Nakhla
Thu, October 25, 2007 - 3:54 PMHello Alexia,
It is nice you remember me, but I never danced with champagne bottles on my head. I did dance on 3 glasses and a tray with a tray with candles on top of it on my head. The dancing on glasses I learned from Fatima Akef when she was dancing in SF
In New York, in clubs dancing with a tray with fire in it kept anyone from trying to put money in my costume. People were afraid the tray would fall on them. I also studied Aikido and learned how to move so as nobody could catch me to put money on my body.
You see, when I started dancing in NYC (1966) we had to have a cabaret license in order to work in the clubs on 8th Ave. To get one you had to be fingerprinted and your background checked for criminal activity. You were not allowed to talk with anyone, much less let anyone touch you. They were very strict about that. Your own mother and father could not talk with you at a club.
In 1970 the law changed. Seeing as I had already established myself, and I had to find another way for people to give me money (in the tray) There were different deals dancers and musicians had with the house. Everyone got a share of the tips. One could work for a guarantee, or a small salary and a portion of the tips. Thus, everyone wanted the tips. Even if a dancer didn't get a percentage of the tips, her portion went to the house, or was divided among the musicians.
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Re: Carla Lopez, aka Zaida, aka Khadija al-Nakhla
Thu, November 1, 2007 - 2:58 PMHello Asharah,
Actually, I started dancing in the very early 1960's, and was very active in the 60s. I studied Graham style Modern Dance in High School. When I was in Jr High School , a Hawaiian friend and I used to trade hip moves.
My original dance was Flamenco, the Danza Mura. That is the Flamenco dance that is most related to Middle Eastern. Isa Mura , the mother of Yaelisa, was my teacher. She taught me both Graham style and Flamenco.
www.caminosflamencos.com/pages...o.html
In the 1960s many Arabs started coming to CA to study. Because of this, Naji opened a little place in North Beach. I used to walk by every eve and hear the music on my way home, or to one of the Flamenco places. There were no dancers around at that time. Later Fatima, the Algerian started to dance there. She was an amazing dancer. She stopped dancing by 1962, and only dropped by now and then and did an impromptu dance. I think it would be better to devote a separate post for her. I'll describe her dance.
Another thing you got wrong about me is my being a Turkish style dancer. Although I can do that style, I'm really more of an Arabic style dancer. Turkish music doesn't have a distinct drum beat, Egyptian music does. If I am given a choice, I'll always choose the music of Baligh Hamdy or Abdu Wahab for dancing. There is a style of Turkish music called Arabesque that is similar.
Turkish music is the wind rushing through grass on rolling plains, Egyptian music is an embellished heart beat.
I do still dance, but not in mixed public. I don't teach either. Been there, done that :-)
