Unissa Cruse-Ferguson ’10

The Heart of Mercy Young Alumna Award

Unissa Cruse-Ferguson ’10 has a passion for dance which was nurtured in Mercy High School’s excellent Dance Program and which has taken her to a career in entertainment. Unissa earned her B.A. in dance and B.S. in family science from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2014. While also serving as artistic director of a non-profit dance organization, Unissa worked as an investigator for the Public Defender Service in Washington, D.C. She eventually shifted her career path, following her dream of being a performer and choreographer.

Unissa has appeared in numerous plays, short films, commercials, music videos, and social media ads throughout the United States and Canada. In 2016, she was chosen from among 200 dancers to perform in NBC’s Hairspray Live!, which starred Ariana Grande, Martin Short, Kristen Chenoweth, Jennifer Hudson, Sean Hayes, Harvey Fierstein, Rosie O’Donnell, Ricki Lake, and Derek Hough. She is also known for her roles in Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story, West Side Story, Mary Poppins, and The Newsies. In 2022, Unissa was selected to dance with J Balvin at the Grammy Awards.

Unissa has generously given her time to mentor Mercy Girls in the arts, mentoring students in Dance Troupe, Apprentice Dance Company, and the Dance Exploration for All class as a guest artist, choreographing many pieces for our dancers. She has also worked with our Footlighters, sharing advice on resume building for the entertainment industry and tips for working with a casting agency.

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Mercy High School

1300 East Northern Parkway
Baltimore, Maryland, 21239

Phone: (410) 433-8880
Fax: (410) 323-8816

Mercy High School Baltimore is a sponsored ministry of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas and is a member of Mercy Education.

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