The Mercy Velvet Project

The personal back story AKA the juicy deets:

Hey folks, Alexis Robbins (she/her) here, Artistic Director and Choreographer of kamrDANCE, a dance and music performance company that prioritizes multidisciplinary musical storytelling. I am currently choreographing, directing, and producing my largest and wildest venture yet, a rock opera. Yes, you read that correctly, a rock opera - 90’s rock-n-roll with a twist, because all of the percussion is Tap Dance.

I am a musician and percussionist by way of Tap Dance. I gratefully stand on the shoulders of all of my dance and music teachers, as well as the Tap masters who created the form. But at home in Rhode Island in the early to late 90’s, the percussion I heard was through a drum kit. My dad, Mark Robbins, grew up playing percussion through marching bands and drum core in Illinois. Shortly after he and my mom, Kathryn Meier, relocated to RI, he joined a rock band. The group named themselves Mercy Velvet, a nod to The Velvet Underground. I spent several years of my childhood at Mercy Velvet rehearsals; playing Pokemon, hide and seek, and more, with the other band members’ kids. As well as attending the occasional show, which I often forced my mom to leave early or miss chunks of due to my temper tantrums of it being too loud (sorry, Mom!). Fast forward to 1999, and Mercy Velvet records and releases their debut and singular album, Live in Vain. They had an album release party, one show at AS220 in Providence, RI, and then unfortunately parted ways due to various life circumstances. Over the next several years, my dad wasn’t playing the drums as much (a lot was happening for my parents: also raising my younger sister Sarah, 9/11, the loss of close family members including my grandma, the birth of my youngest sister Corinne, plus career advancements and lots of moving), but Live in Vain played on repeat in our living room. I have many distinct memories of dancing to the album, imagining myself performing to it, even choreographing short bits to a few of my favorite songs. I had no idea what the lyrics meant at the time, or how deep and poetic they were, but I was inspired to move to it, that’s for sure.

Fast forward to 2022, I’ve been performing and creating dances professionally for almost a decade, and I decide I want to make something bigger. I want to choreograph the entirety of an album with live instrumentation, I want to show audiences that dance and music can (and should) be in constant conversation with one another. I want to turn Live in Vain, my living room dances, into a show. I want everyone to hear the music of Mercy Velvet, give the work new life, allow their legacy to continue through my creative lens. I now fully understand the lyrics and musical choices, and they are incredibly relevant today, still in this moment, 25 plus years later. They ask things like; how do we not live in vain? How do we face our personal and collective addictions? Is survival possible without love? Is there a place where we can all be our fullest selves without restriction? Can we forgive ourselves and each other for our transgressions in order to imagine a better future? Is mercy the antidote to it all? …And that’s just barely scratching the surface.

This show is my wildest dream, I still cannot believe it has become a reality. I can’t even type those words without tearing up (and if you know me, you know I’m not a big fan of crying). This work is only possible with the immense labor, help, and talents of an absurdly amazing creative team. First, my creative partner and Musical/Associate Director of this show, Christie Echols. From the moment I met Christie, I knew I had to work with them, and they’ve said yes to every single crazy thing I’ve asked and haven't looked back, and I could not be more grateful. Christie is also our badass bassist, as well as vocals, electronics, tech help, PowerPoint guru, and so much more. The cast also consists of lead vocalist, Aster Rhys, who’s voice and being is nothing short of soulful, gritty, and angelic all at the same time. Guitarist, Alicyn Yaffee, who’s perfect pitch comes in pretty handy, and who’s stank face and solo shreds could cut you. And on percussion aka Tap Dance: Megan Gessner, a brilliantly smart mathematician and unique mover, with a keen sense for fixing choreographic puzzles, and humor. Maria Clara Laet, whose feet can move many miles a minute and is never fearful of any challenge. And Bella Serricella, who has the unique ability to be both an equally exquisite ensemble member and soloist.

These people, these humans, these artists, they are truly astounding. This work only exists because of them. I am also deeply grateful for the folks who have been a part of early iterations of experiments with this work: Luiza Karnas, Sarah Robbins, and Ellie Kim.

If you’ve made it to this page at all, you know we are trying to raise funds for this project. This work is incredibly expensive, this is a gigantic undertaking. I must equitably compensate all of the artists listed above for all rehearsal hours and performances. The absolute bare minimum for rehearsals is $20/hour, and the ideal minimum rate for all performances is $500/performance. Then there’s musical equipment, specifically wireless headset microphones which run at close to $1000 for just one (we need 7). Rehearsal space (average $20/hour), travel, accommodations, and food (we burn a lot of calories, ya’ll), really adds up as well. Half of the cast lives in NYC, and the other half in CT. A single day of rehearsal with the entire cast costs about $1500, and it takes about 6 full days of rehearsal to complete one song. And there’s so much more: costumes, stage manager, sound engineers, professional documentation…the list goes on. This is no small feat. It’s the craziest, biggest, scariest thing I’ve ever made, and we can only keep going with significant help. That’s where you, future supporters and patrons, come in.

For full transparency, by the end of 2024, I will have invested over $20,000 of my personal funds into this work (with the aid and support of my partner in life, Matt Goldberg). I have chosen to invest in this because I believe in it, because in my heart I know it has to be made. And now I am asking that you believe in us, too.

If you’ve done any math, you know that $10,000 will not cover the full scope of creating and premiering this work, but it WILL help me compensate my fabulous collaborators for our upcoming November 15th and 16th performances and continue to plan for the full premiere in Fall 2025 and beyond.

What’s already done and what’s next, you ask? We have completed creating 5 of the 9 songs on the album. We are about to perform those 5 songs (which is 45 minutes) on Friday, November 15th and Saturday, November 16th at Arts on Site in NYC (get your tickets!). Then on Saturday, December 7th, we will be hosting an in person fundraising gala at Katalina’s Bakery in New Haven, CT, where we will do some excerpts of the show and hold a silent auction. In January 2025, we have a 5-day space residency at NXTHVN in New Haven, CT where we will start working on the next 1-2 songs and do a community workshop. The goal is to complete the work by the end of August 2025 and premiere the full work (an hour and 15 minutes) in New Haven in Fall 2025. After that, the goal is to tour the work throughout New England and beyond, sharing it and engaging with as many communities as possible. In our wildest dreams we bring The Mercy Velvet Project to many different spaces. It’s family friendly, it’s loud and fun rock-n-roll, it’s soft and beautiful, it’s poetry, it’s live music, it’s dance, it’s storytelling, it’s a rock opera that you’ve never seen the likes of. I know this is possible. Will you consider helping us?

Proof of concept (that this is super cool):

From a Drum Kit To Tap Shoes - New Haven Arts

New Haven Independent Coverage

Short excerpts from our May show at Ailey Studios in NYC

Our Instagram with more short excerpts

Other ways to donate:

Tax deductible donations - we are fiscally sponsored by Unique Projects through Pentacle. If you would like to make a fully tax deductible, one time OR recurring monthly donation, in any amount, you can do so at www.kamrdance.com/donate

You can also attend our fundraiser on Saturday, December 7th at Katalina’s Bakery in New Haven, CT and participate in the silent auction for very cool prizes and/or just write us a giant check for fun.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading. And if you donate, thank you from the entirety of my being for your support - a very personal thank you will be on the way. If you want to support in the form of in-kind donations or other means, please email us <3

Here’s to making art despite horrific wars and destruction, for we all know, that is when art is needed most.

Show description:

The 1999 album, Live in Vain by Mercy Velvet, exists on zero streaming platforms, and few people have heard it. But its legacy is as relevant as ever. The Mercy Velvet Project is a rock opera, a re-creation of the album. The work explores what makes us human, our collective need for community to survive—with musicians and dancers moving as one. Through nine songs, a queer and femme cast explore different barriers to experiencing love. Learning that by giving and receiving the gift of mercy, we are able to find the bridge to survival, wholeness, and hope. Over twenty years after the albums’ release, kamrDANCE and their collaborators expand upon its legacy through their personal identities and today’s political realities. The show tells the story of the album through tap dance as percussion, contemporary dance, original text, and instrumentation via bass, guitar, vocals, and electronics—highlighting our vulnerabilities, learning together how to find the antidote that is mercy, and in turn lead meaningful lives.

Live in Vain by Mercy Velvet is the music that Choreographer Alexis Robbins grew up with, the percussive rhythms and lyrics that inspired living room dances. Her father, Mark Robbins, was the drummer and co-composer for Mercy Velvet, alongside lyricist Deb Lili, and guitarist Lou Lili. Her fathers’ love and direction has deeply influenced the music Alexis listens to and the music she creates as a tap dancer. Now, Alexis, Musical Director Christie Echols, and their collaborators bring Live in Vain to audiences for the first time.

More info: www.kamrdance.com/bio

Want a press kit PDF? Email us!