Evoke Performance Collective

Monica began her performing arts career by training with Mary Skiba’s School of Dance, in Clinton Township, Michigan at the age of 5. She trained in the Cecchetti method of ballet, as well as jazz, tap, lyrical, pointe, contemporary, lyrical and musical theater dance before moving to the world of color guard at her local high school. Her marching experience includes Henry Ford II High School Falcon Marching Band, where she marched in the Tournament of Roses parade in 1996, and UCS Pride Winterguard, which competed in the Michigan Color Guard Circuit.   
 
After high school, she taught color guard for East Detroit High School for several years (1997-2000) before returning to her alma mater (HF2) from 2002-2007. During this time she founded eXstatica Winterguard, which competed within the Michigan Color Guard Circuit. She later joined the staff of Fraser High School, and helped develop the existing Fusion Winterguard, an independent group that competed within MCGC and rose through the ranks from Regional A to Independent A class (2008-2013). In 2017, Monica founded Resurgence Winterguard (MCGC 2018 IRA Gold Medalist), when she returned to teach at her alma mater (where her daughters were now a part of the color guard program). Monica “retired” from coaching in 2019.  
 
Following the Covid 19 Pandemic, Monica went back to her roots and began instructing in a studio, where she taught ballet, jazz, tap, acro, lyrical and hip hop to 2-12 year olds. It was this teaching that made Monica realize she wasn’t done with the color guard activity just yet! It is through this passion and renewed sense of purpose, that Evoke Performance Collective was born.  
 
When she’s not moving to music, Monica spends her time with her husband, Mark (former director of Fusion Winterguard, and a small business owner), and her son Dominic (a drummer in the Chippewa Valley High School batterie) on crazy road trips to see all the great things nature holds! Additionally, Monica spent many of her years in the lives of four amazing young women that she loves and misses on a daily basis, and knows that some of her time with them was sacrificed in the pursuit of “flags in a gym”. A very special love and thanks to: Shaynah and Meaghan Drohan, and Emma and Molly Capelli. Monica would also like to thank her long-time mentors for helping give her the passion, confidence and support to launch into this new endeavor: Mary Skiba, Stephanie Pizzo, Carol Cullivus, Rick Nitterhouse, Heather Kay Andrus.
    
Monica is a dreamer because she never lets “the impossible” stop her, regardless of how crazy the idea is. She is VERY excited for this new venture, and looks forward to presenting WGI with a new dynamic for the color guard activity. “People will say we have all lost our minds, but maybe it takes love to really create love in a life”- Tiffany Thompson.