Friends remember Catholic Central High School senior who drowned in Florida

Danielle Marceline was many things, including a friend, athlete, and accomplished dancer.

“You could tell while she was performing, she exuded her love and passion for dance,” said Andrea DiDio, owner of Art in Motion Dance Academy on Everett Road in Colonie.

“She was so quiet when she was younger, but very present in everything we did. Every rehearsal, she was a sponge. Any correction that was made, she applied it to choreography as we were preparing to go to competitions. Her smile was infectious. It lit up a room when she smiled. Her laugh was unlike any other.”

Danielle danced and trained for competition at AMDA for four years.

She drowned Saturday while swimming with her friend in the ocean in Florida, the day before her 18th birthday.

That friend who survived, Mary Doyle, is devastated, calling Danielle her “other half.”

Grieving AMDA dancers are sharing memories, one saying Danielle “was part of our family since she walked through the studio doors, and I can’t picture this world without her smile or laugh.”

“I would like to remember her as that fierce performer when she walked out on stage,” said DiDio. “Your eye was literally drawn to her when she was performing.”

A GoFundMe for Danielle’s family has raised more than $30,000 so far, from hundreds of people.

“She was a charismatic dancer,” said DiDio. “Hip hop was her strong suit. When she took the stage, the energy that came out of her when she performed was unlike any other.”

There is a memorial benefit dinner coming up next Tuesday, Dec. 13, at Jimmy’s Pizza in Lansingburgh. A portion of the proceeds will go to support Danielle’s family.

MORE: GoFundMe page to help Danielle’s family