Dancing Through Loss: How Marcus & Hui Lin Give Back Through Art
For professional dancers Marcus and Hui Lin, dance has always been a language of emotion — a way to express what words often fail to capture. But after experiencing the loss of Marcus’ mother, affectionately known as Mama Leong, their art took on a deeper purpose.
A Family’s Journey of Resilience
Mama Leong’s cancer journey began with an unexpected diagnosis. A routine health screening revealed she had stage 4 ovarian cancer, a devastating reality that gave her just 1.5 years to live. Yet, in the face of it all, she remained resolutely positive, a beacon of resilience for those around her.
Even when faced with an impossible decision – to undergo potentially fatal surgery to have a stoma bag attached, or forego the surgery, which would shorten her timeline significantly – Mama Leong remained calm and chose to take the chance with surgery.
The couple, deeply moved by Mama Leong’s indomitable spirit, found themselves learning an invaluable lesson: even in life’s darkest moments, there is light to be found.
Determined to make the most of their time together, Marcus and Hui Lin brought forward their plans to start a family, hoping Mama Leong could meet her grandchild. However, fate had other plans — Mama Leong passed away just a month before the baby’s birth. Nevertheless, her legacy of courage and joy remains deeply woven into their lives.
Marcus and Hui Lin sharing the happy news with his family!
Turning Pain into Purpose
Now, as caregivers turned advocates, Marcus and Hui Lin have dedicated themselves to giving back through Artvocacy, an initiative by the Singapore Cancer Society’s Psychosocial Services. Together with the Society, they co-conceptualised The Human Spirit Series, a rhythmic fusion of dance, acting, and storytelling that brings to life the unspoken emotional journeys of those affected by cancer.
These short films are what the couple deems their biggest and “most difficult project”. The first video, told in near-complete darkness, features Mama Leong and spans from Marcus’s childhood to his mother’s diagnosis.
“When we were filming Mama in the first video, she was actually really frail,” Hui Lin recounts. “But still, she smiled through it all and continued to give us encouragement.”
That same quiet strength is captured in the way the scene is lit — by a single candle, symbolising the beauty and brightness of Mama Leong’s light, and how that light will continue to shine on.
Watch Vol 1: Indomitable Spirit
The second volume, produced after Mama Leong’s passing, was exceptionally hard for the couple to film. How were they supposed to create art inspired by someone who was no longer around?
As young parents, Marcus and Hui Lin resonated with Mama Leong’s motherly love and dedication to her family which, despite her pain, never once wavered. As such, they decided to tell Volume 2 through the eyes of a child.
The result is a beautiful performance that allows those who have lived the cancer experience to see their own journeys of love and grief reflected in the story. For Marcus and Hui Lin, it was also a deeply personal tribute, a way to keep Mama Leong’s legacy alive through the language they know best — dance. They even had the opportunity to collaborate with renowned Singaporean singers and producers, Benjamin Kheng, Sherman Zhuo, and Evan Low, who contributed a heartfelt song specially for this project.
To truly honour those facing cancer, the Artvocacy project also features patients, survivors, caregivers, and volunteers. Beyond hoping to touch and inspire viewers, the Human Spirit series also ensures that legacies like Mama Leong’s continue to inspire everyone, even without words.
The Human Spirit in Motion
Marcus and Hui Lin also remain committed to spreading awareness of the cancer cause even beyond the stage and cameras. In 2025, the couple and their two-year-old, along with Marcus’s sister, May, participated in their first Singapore Cancer Society - TalkMed Relay For Life (RFL), Singapore’s own iteration of the global fundraising movement. An annual overnight 100KM relay event that symbolises the never-ending fight against cancer, RFL is an event they had always wanted to go to with Mama Leong. Now, they run in honour of her infectious positivity and unwavering spirit.
“Running that 100KM gave me a small glimpse of what Mama Leong went through,” says Marcus. “Even when it got really tiring, I told myself to keep going on and keep moving forward, because Mama Leong did exactly that.”
Through dance, remembrance, and action, Marcus and Hui Lin’s story proves that love doesn’t end with loss — it always finds new ways to move, to inspire, and to give back.
Experience their powerful storytelling in motion
Watch The Human Spirit Series and witness how dance brings the cancer journey to life:
Watch Vol 2: The Human Spirit Part 1
Watch Vol 2: The Human Spirit Part 2