Marilyn is Kukuyalanji and Waanyi woman, born in Cairns.

Marilyn is Kukuyalanji and Waanyi woman, born in Cairns and started dancing at the age of five. She has trained in various traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance forms, classical ballet, tap and modern dance techniques, including Martha Graham, Lester Horton and Limone. Whilst with Bangarra Dance Theatre, Marilyn toured with Ochres to Berlin, Arnhem Land, Tokyo, Noumea, and domestically. Her choreographic input is included in Fish and the premiere season of Rites with The Australian Ballet, in which she performed.

Marilyn is the sole, female Co-Founder, Dancer, and Choreographer of Australia's first Indigenous mainstream company, Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre.

Marilyn has worked in a variety of capacities ranging from Dancer, Dance Teacher, Choreographer, Artistic Director, Actor, Guest Lecturer, Arts Administrator, Board Member, Chairperson, Festival Director, Facilitator, and Keynote Speaker. She has choreographed for dance, theatre, and television, had a video installation of contemporary Indigenous welcome dances residing in the First Peoples Gallery, Australian National Museum. Along with her sister and parents, she was honoured in the Queensland Museum’s Dandiiri Maiwar exhibition.

Marilyn was Australia’s National Indigenous Dance Coordinator of the national strategy 'Treading the Pathways 2007-2009', which she then developed into Australia’s first service organisation for First Nations dance, BlakDance Australia Ltd, becoming the Founder and inaugural CEO 2010–11.

Marilyn is an Alumni of the British Council’s Accelerate Leadership Program, and has been Chair of the New South Wales Ministry for the Arts Dance Committee, as well as peer assessor for Arts Queensland, Australia Council (Dance), and Brisbane City Council. She was Artistic Director and curatorial panel member for the Festival of Pacific Arts 2012 (Australian Delegation); that same year she was appointed co-Deputy Chair of Ausdance National. In 2013 Marilyn became Festival Director for the Laura Aboriginal Dance Festival.

In 2014, Marilyn became the Programme Manager for Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, in 2015 the Artistic Associate, and in 2018 a Board Member. In 2017, Marilyn facilitated three Indigenous Dance Forums with BlakDance, Arts Queensland and Indigenous ballet Dancers. In 2019 Marilyn was a consultant for Arts Queensland, facilitating community forums to develop strategies for the arts.

Her academic achievements include a Diploma in Dance (NAISDA) and Bachelor of Business (University of Technology Sydney).