When Heather Lopez speaks, she does so quietly. It’s nearly impossible to hear her over the booming bass of rap music that floats over the divider between her small reception space and the artist’s quarters. She’s not wearing make up and her pink dyed hair is pulled up haphazardly in a bun. Her shirt is an homage to Sailor Moon and when asked about her tattoos, she mentions the anime character is inked on her thigh.
In a few weeks, BDC Tattoo on Mass will close in order for the staff to attend Planet Comicon in Kansas City. Lopez will cosplay as Raven from Teen Titans, a costume she’s been working on for the last few weeks.
“I use elements of cosplay in my burlesque routine,” she says. “I auditioned [for Foxy by Proxy] with a Harley Quinn piece.”
An otherwise quiet girl, Lopez takes to the stage as Nerdy Nita every few months, performing routines she choreographs and costumes herself. Her last endeavor was a corset made of flowers and pearls complete with a headpiece of deer antlers. She told the story of Frida Kahlo as she swept across the stage to Selena’s Como La Flor.
“If you are familiar with Frida Kahlo’s love life, the song really goes well with the tragedy of her life. She created beautiful stuff out of this tragedy. Like a flower, she wilts, but it’s beautiful. It’s a beautiful darkness,” Lopez says.
Her soft voice and fidgeting fingers are a contrast to who she becomes on stage. She describes performing as coming into an alter ego. Before shows, you’ll often find her having a few drinks to take the edge off. Throughout her routines, she reacts to the sounds of the audience. Without her glasses, everything is a blur. Heart pounding, she bows.
Photos courtesy of Heather Lopez and Foxy by Proxy.