Mary Anderson was born and raised in Waterville, Ohio before moving to Detroit, Michigan to pursue dance. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance while studying at Wayne State University. Wayne broadened her horizons and introduced her to completely new styles of dance such as modern and African. During her time at Wayne, she had opportunities to work closely with Nick Leichter, Dwight Rhoden, Desmond Richardson, Meg Paul, Biba Bell, Bryan and Shaina Baira, and more. When living in Detroit, she also spent her time working for the Detroit Tigers Energy Squad.