Daniella Karagach is a professional dancer gaining huge popularity recently for her winning partnership with Iman Shumpert on Dancing With The Stars season 30. Her incredible choreography and teaching ability has made a name for herself in the competitive dance world.
With her girl-next-door looks, big smile and energetic dance style, it’s no wonder Daniella has become a fan favorite personality on one of America’s top rated TV shows.
This article will give the full scoop on Daniella’s background, her family relationships, physical stats, career highlights and fun facts every fan wants to know.
Who is Daniella Karagach?
Daniella Karagach is a professional Latin ballroom dancer who has quickly become a household name thanks to her recent mirrorball trophy win on Dancing With The Stars.
With her signature blonde pixie cut, dazzling smile and sensational dance skill, Daniella has captured the hearts of fans across America. She first gained fame through years competing on the ballroom circuit before making the transition to theater tours and finally television.
Now known for her electric choreography and effervescent personality, Daniella has become one of the fan favorite dance pros on primetime’s top-rated dance competition.
This in-depth article will reveal everything about this rising talent – from her background and dance training, relationship with fiancé Pasha Pashkov, career highlights as well as unknown facts every DWTS addict wants to know!
Early Life and Family
Daniella Karagach was born on October 22, 1986 in New York City, USA. Her parents had immigrated years earlier from Ukraine and founded their own dance school.
Growing up immersed in dance culture, a young Daniella immediately fell in love with high-energy Latin styles. Her raw talent and passion was evident right from her very first cha-cha and samba steps.
Daniella hasn’t publicly divulged much about her family and life outside dance. But here are the basic personal details known:
- Parents: Names unknown. Owned a dance school originally from Ukraine
- Siblings: One older brother
- Relationship status: Engaged to longtime boyfriend Pasha Pashkov
- Kids: None yet
Even as a child, Daniella would spend many hours after school at her parents’ studio. She’d watch advanced couples glide effortlessly across the floor, their footwork firing rapidly while bodies swayed rhythmically to the beat.
The dazzling costumes, intense facial expressions and sheer athleticism had Daniella utterly mesmerized. She just had to be a part of it!
Dance Training Background
Daniella began formal dance lessons at age five and was competing by seven. Her parents may have already sensed their daughter’s raw natural talent.
She trained extensively at the reputable Long Island Dance Centre under acclaimed coaches and choreographers. The focused curriculum and exposure to world-class competition groomed Daniella into the versatile technical dancer she is today.
Styles Trained In:
- Jazz
- Lyrical
- Contemporary
- Ballet
- Hip hop
- Tap
- Modern
- Ballroom Latin
- Ballroom Standard
Daniella practiced long hours to master not only the physical footwork and body isolations of Latin, but also understand the culture, beats and rhythm intrinsic to each style:
- Cha-cha
- Samba
- Rumba
- Paso Doble
- Jive
She also studied the technical structure of standard ballroom dances like waltz, foxtrot, Viennese waltz and quickstep.
By age 12, a driven Daniella was practicing upwards of 30 hours a week – splitting time between solo sessions, private lessons and mock competitions.
Her studio hosted weekend dance camps led by world champion instructors from across the globe. Daniella relished soaking up their guidance to refine her technique.
She’d watch competition footage of legendary dancers like Ginger Rogers and Mikhail Baryshnikov, trying to mimic their fancy footwork, fluid mobility and showmanship.
Competitive Dance Career
Daniella distinguished herself as a fiercely determined dancer right from her first competition. The hours and hours of tireless preparation were evident whenever she stepped on stage.
Oozing confidence beyond her years, Daniella performed every routine with conviction and attack. Her flexibility, timing and sharp attention to detail saw judges grading her exceptional technical prowess.
By age 15, Daniella had already amassed over a dozen competition titles – many achieved partnered with her longtime boyfriend Pasha Pashkov.
The young couple’s incredible natural chemistry and growing prowess dazzled crowds whenever they took the stage. Their perfectly synchronized choreography was living art in motion.
From 2004 to 2011, Daniella embarked on a stunning run of over 40 first place finishes at the most prestigious dance events domestically and overseas:
- 2004 United States Youth International Latin Champion
- 2005 World Youth Latin Champion
- 2006 U.S Youth International Latin Champion
- 2007 World Masters Latin Champion
- 2008 U.S National Professional Rising Star Latin Champion
- 2009 Midwest Open Professional Rising Star American Rhythm Champion
- 2010 U.S National Professional Rising Star American Rhythm Champion
Daniella captured an astonishing 10 consecutive US National Latin titles from 2008-2011 alongside Pasha – cementing their status as the country’s preeminent Latin dance partnership.
By her mid twenties, Daniella had already reached the absolute pinnacle of competitive dance excellence. Lured by opportunities to perform full time, she pivoted towards professional stage and television outlets to showcase her creativity.
Stage & Theater Performing Career
Hungry to expand her dance exposure beyond competitions, Daniella successfully auditioned for celebrated production companies. Her proficiency across multiple genres made her an extremely versatile dancer.
Her major stage performances include:
Burn The Floor
This Broadway export touredDaniella over 125 cities across dozens of countries. As the first ballroom dancing show of its scale, the production helped ignite mainstream interest in Latin dance.
Daniella was handpicked from over 1000 hopefuls to join the high-energy cast. She enthralled audiences with her beauty, personality and technical prowess during routines set to pop songs like Hips Don’t Lie, Vogue and When Doves Cry.
Fellow dance pros often marveled at Daniella’s stamina and consistency reproducing top level performances night after night.
Off-Broadway Shows
Daniella played prominent roles in Latin dance centered shows like ¡Flamenco Nacional! and Heartbeat of Home.
Her sensuality and vigor transported audiences into the pulsing rhythms and flavors of Spanish and Cuban culture.
Feature Films
Daniella scored cameo appearances as a principal dancer in movies such as:
- Shall We Dance? (2004) starring Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez
- Musical Chairs (2011) starring Leah Pipes
Dancing With The Stars
In 2017, Daniella was recruited as a choreographer for ABC’s reality TV juggernaut Dancing with the Stars. This opportunity let her craft energetic ballroom routines tailored for celebrities from various backgrounds like figure skating, basketball and entertainment.
The exposure from working behind the scenes led to her ultimately being promoted to the dance Troupe from seasons 28-30.
As part of the Troupe, Daniella performs and demonstrates specialty dances aside the competing Pros each week.
Her bubbly charisma, consistency and leadership saw her become one of the most popular Troupe members in the show’s history.
All those seasons waiting patiently in the wings finally paid dividends when Daniella was upgraded to Pro status for the landmark 30th anniversary season in Fall 2021.
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Winning DWTS Alongside Iman Shumpert
For her first season as a Pro, Daniella was partnered with basketball player Iman Shumpert. The odd pairing seemed to surprise everyone – how would this towering NBA athlete fare twirling and sashaying Latin dance styles?
But Daniella expertly leveraged Iman’s agility and hip hop background to choreograph delightful, dynamic routines playing to his strengths.
The couple showcased steady improvement delivering memorable performances week after week. The ultimate highlight was an electrifying contemporary routine honoring Iman’s daughter.
Fan voting rocketed Iman and Daniella into the finals where they topped favorites like Jo Jo Siwa to capture DWTS ultimate prize – the glistening Mirrorball trophy!
The astonishing win – only the second time in history a rookie Pro prevailed – cemented Daniella as a bonafide star within the DWTS universe.
Her creative vision and choreography brilliance had guided an basketball player non-dancer to achieve something nobody imagined possible. This cemented Daniella as a bonafide star within the show and primetime TV.
What Daniella Karagach Is Up To Now
On the heels of her fairytale debut DWTS season, the sky seems the limit for this tremendously gifted dancer still in her prime years.
Daniella continues performing special dance numbers on Dancing with the Stars results nights. She is also busy nurturing her personal dance workshop business in California offered to students of all ages and skill levels.
With her fame gaining more mainstream spotlight now, Daniella is fielding sponsorship offers from fashion and health brands.
She is also eyeing judging opportunities on other television dance competitions. Wherever there is opportunity to inspire others through dance – you can expect dynamic Daniella to be front and center!
Daniella Karagach Physical Stats & Fun Facts
- Height: 5′ 2″ (1.57 m)
- Weight: 105 lbs (47 kg)
- Build: Slender, fit athletic
- Eyes: Light brown
- Hair: Signature pixie blonde
Fun Facts
- Owns over 1000 pairs of dance shoes
- Has a toy poodle named Nula
- Favorite cheat meal is pepperoni pizza
- Speaks conversational Russian and Spanish
- Avid fan of aerial yoga and meditation
- Favorite dancers are Derek Hough and Julianne Hough
- Childhood celebrity crush was Zac Efron
- Love getting dressed up for date nights
- Addicted to reality shows like The Bachelor
- Believes in ghosts and paranormal activity
- Would love to be a judge on DWTS someday
Daniella Karagach Personal Life
Daniella prefers keeping her private world outside dance largely confidential. But here is what we do know about her family, relationship status and more.
Family Details
While Daniella adores her tight knit Ukrainian family, she has not revealed identities of her parents or siblings thus publicly. This could simply be to give them privacy from her growing fame spotlight.
In past interviews, Daniella has described family as “her rock” – keeping her grounded from the chaos of Hollywood celebrity. She credits rigorous guidance from her parents for instilling work ethic and perseverance achieving any dream or goal.
Relationship With Fiance Pasha Pashkov
Daniella has been in a deeply committed relationship with fellow professional dancer Pasha Pashkov for over a decade after originally meeting as pre-teens on the competition circuit.
The two instantly bonded over their mutual drive and passion achieving dance excellence. Partners on stage and off, Daniella credits Pasha for always believing in her talents and being a motivating force through challenging periods.
In January 2021, the long term couple announced their engagement via touching Instagram posts. After postponing due to Covid, Daniella and Pasha held a romantic Turks and Caicos beach wedding in June 2022. Close friends describe them as “soulmates” utterly inseparable for nearly half their lives.
While busy with their own thriving careers, Daniella and Pasha hope to start a family within next few years. If their kids inherit even a fraction of the parents’ dance DNA, expect some future mirrorball trophy contenders down the road!
Daniella Karagach Net Worth
Daniella boasts an estimated net worth of approximately $500 thousand dollars as of 2023 primarily built from dance performances and television appearances.
With her teaching business, judging opportunities and continued DWTS role, that wealth figure has potential to triple within a few short years if she wisely invests earnings.
Daniella lives a comfortable lifestyle but isn’t yet splurging on mega luxury cars or mansions. She does own a modest house in Los Angeles.
One big advantage for Hollywood celebrities is access to free gifts, vacations and products simply for promotional Instagram posts or attending red carpet events.
As her fame continues rising, Daniella can absolutely earn millions in the long run through sponsorship deals, merchandise and possibly even her own dance tours or studios.
Also Read: Elaine A Zane: How She Died? What Happened To Her?
Conclusion
Whether dazzling audiences with her lightning fast Latin footwork or lighting up television screens with her effervescent smile, Daniella Karagach was simply born to dance.
Her lifelong dedication mastering diverse styles coupled with raw natural talent has turned this dancer into a bonafide celebrity.
With the dance universe at her feet, the best may be yet to come from this creative choreographer, motivational teacher and emerging Hollywood star. Daniella’s breathtaking journey thus far indicates only limitless possibilities lie ahead.
People Also Ask (FAQ’s)
Who is Daniella’s husband?
Daniella Karagach is married to fellow dancer Pasha Pashkov, with whom she frequently performs.
Who is Pasha married to?
Pasha Pashkov is married to Daniella Karagach, his longtime dance partner and wife.
How old is Daniella Karagach?
As of 2024, Daniella Karagach is in her late 20s.
Who is Daniella’s dance partner?
Daniella Karagach’s primary dance partner is her husband, Pasha Pashkov, with whom she has achieved significant success in ballroom dancing.
Who are the twins in World’s Best Dancer?
The twins in “World’s Best Dancer” are likely the Labèque sisters, Katia and Marielle, renowned for their piano performances.
Did Danielle and Pasha have a baby?
As of the latest information available, Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov have not had a baby together.
