Daniella Karagach | |
|---|---|
 Karagach in 2019 | |
| Born | Daniella Brittany Karagach (1992-12-26)December 26, 1992 (age 33) Brooklyn,New York City, U.S. |
| Other names | Daniella Karagach Pashkova |
| Education | College of Staten Island |
| Occupations |
|
| Television | |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
Daniella Brittany Karagach Pashkova (née Karagach; born December 26, 1992) is an American professionalLatin andballroom dancer and choreographer. She began her career indancesport and rose to prominence as a contestant on thesecond season ofWorld of Dance with her husband,Pasha Pashkov.
Karagach continued her competitive dancing career by joiningDancing with the Stars in September 2019. She won hersecond season with basketball playerIman Shumpert and received a nomination for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography.
Daniella Brittany Karagach was born on December 26, 1992, inBrooklyn,New York, to immigrants from Moldova, Mark Karagach and Regina Yvette Karagach (now Zurinam).[1] Her parentsdivorced one year after her birth.[2] She was primarily raised as anonly child by her mother in theForest Hills andBath Beach neighborhoods of New York; until her mothermarried her stepfather, Arie Zurinam, and she gained a stepsister, Ariana.[3] She moved toSouth Beach, Staten Island when she grew older.[4]
Karagach began takingballet lessons at the age of three, and by age seven was takingLatin dance classes.[3] She had trouble focusing in school and was diagnosed withattention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) when she was six years old.[4] Her mother refused to give her prescribed medication due to her age and instead enrolled her inballroom dance classes, which helped her focus and improve her academic performance.[4] Despite her ADHD diagnosis, she was enrolled in honors and advanced placement programs, and went on to graduate fromFranklin Delano Roosevelt High School.[5] Karagach studied childhood education at the City University of New York, theCollege of Staten Island.[3]
Karagach formed a dance partnership with Leonid Juashkovsky and began her career indancesport when she was eleven years old. Together, they became three-timeUSA Dance Junior I and II Latin Champions; represented the U.S. at theIDSF World Championships inLatvia,Russia, andBarcelona; and appeared in the second and third seasons of the competition seriesAmerica's Ballroom Challenge.[6]
In January 2009, Karagach paired withPavel "Pasha" Pashkov. They were selected to represent the U.S. at the2009 World Games inTaiwan and represented the United States in various international competitions and festivals. Karagach and Pashkov are seven-time U.S. 10-Dance Champions and Latin Champions.[7] They also won the Rising Star Professional Championship at the 2017Blackpool Dance Festival and the 2018 U.S. Latin American Showdance Championship. On television, they competed on thesecond season ofWorld of Dance (2018) and choreographed forSo You Think You Can Dance (2022).
Karagach joined the reality competition seriesDancing with the Stars as a troupe dancer forseason 28; although she did not have a celebrity partner.[8] Forseason 29, Karagach was paired with rapper and singerNelly. They made it to the finals and placed third on November 23, 2020.[9]
On the30th season ofDancing with the Stars, Karagach was paired with basketball playerIman Shumpert. Despite a shaky beginning, the couple won the competition on November 22, 2021, making Shumpert the firstNBA player to both make the finale and win.[10] Karagach and Shumpert'scontemporary piece to "I Got 5 on It (Tethered Mix)", for Halloween week, was hailed by critics and viewers as one of the best dances in the series' history.[11][12] For her work on the season, Karagach received her first nomination for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography.[13]
On the31st season ofDancing with the Stars, Karagach was paired with actor and bodybuilderJoseph Baena.[14] Karagach was unable to compete for the second and third weeks after testing positive forCOVID-19; she was temporarily replaced bytroupe memberAlexis Warr.[15] Karagach and Baena were eliminated on October 18, 2022, finishing in 11th place; Karagach's lowest placement to date.[16]
Forseason 32, Karagach was paired with singer-songwriterJason Mraz. They made it to the finals and finished as the runners-up on December 5, 2023, behind actressXochitl Gomez andVal Chmerkovskiy.[17]
Forseason 33, Karagach was paired with basketball playerDwight Howard.[18] They were eliminated during the quarterfinals on November 12, 2024, finishing in 6th place.[19]
Forseason 34, Karagach partnered withThe Traitors winnerDylan Efron.[20] The couple made it to the finals but ultimately finished in 4th place.
| Season | Partner | Place |
|---|---|---|
| 29 | Nelly | 3rd |
| 30 | Iman Shumpert | 1st |
| 31 | Joseph Baena | 11th |
| 32 | Jason Mraz | 2nd |
| 33 | Dwight Howard | 6th |
| 34 | Dylan Efron | 4th |
Celebrity partner:Nelly
Average score: 23.5/30
| Week | Dance | Music | Judges' scores[a] | Total score | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salsa | "Ride wit Me" —Nelly | 5 | 5 | 6 | 16 | Safe |
| 2 | Cha-cha-cha | "Let's Groove" —Earth, Wind & Fire | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 | Safe |
| 3 | Foxtrot | "It's All Right"(fromSoul) | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 | Safe |
| 4 | Paso doble | "All I Do Is Win" —DJ Khaled, feat.T-Pain,Ludacris,Rick Ross &Snoop Dogg | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | Safe |
| 5 | Samba | "Rhythm of the Night" —DeBarge | 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 | Safe |
| 6 | Viennese waltz | "Humble and Kind" —Tim McGraw | 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 | Safe |
| 7 | Argentine tango | "Can't Feel My Face" —The Weeknd | 9 | 9 | 9 | 27 | Safe |
| 8 | Rumba | "Nobody Knows" —The Tony Rich Project | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | Safe |
| Cha-cha-cha Relay | "Rain on Me" —Lady Gaga &Ariana Grande | N/a | 2[b] | ||||
| 9 | Jazz | "California Love" —Tupac, feat.Dr. Dre &Roger Troutman | 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 | Safe |
| Salsa Dance-off | "The Cup of Life" —Ricky Martin | 0 | 0[c] | ||||
| 10 (Semifinals) | Paso doble | "Run Boy Run" —Woodkid | 9 | 8 | 9 | 26 | Safe |
| Jive | Jump, Jive an' Wail —The Brian Setzer Orchestra | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 | ||
| 11 (Finals) | Samba | "Rhythm of the Night" —DeBarge | 9 | 9 | 9 | 27 | Third place |
| Freestyle | "Savage" —Megan Thee Stallion & "Hypnotize" —The Notorious B.I.G. | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 | ||
Celebrity partner:Iman Shumpert
Average score: 32.6/40
| Week | Dance | Music | Judges' scores[a] | Total score | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jive | "Hey Ya!" —Outkast | 7 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 21 | Safe |
| 2 | Rumba | "U Know What's Up" —Donell Jones | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 25 | Safe |
| 3 | Tango | "Piece of Me" —Britney Spears | 7 | 6 | N/a[b] | 6 | 19 | Safe |
| 4 | Foxtrot | "Let It Go"(fromFrozen) | 8 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 30 | Safe |
| Argentine tango | "Arabian Nights" "(fromAladdin) | 9 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 33 | ||
| 5 | Viennese waltz | "Hopelessly Devoted to You" —Olivia Newton-John | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 | Safe |
| 6 | Contemporary | "I Got 5 on It (Tethered Mix)"(fromUs) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 40 | Safe |
| 7 | Paso doble | "Another One Bites the Dust" —Queen" | 9 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 32 | Safe |
| Jive Relay | "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" —Queen" | N/a | 2[c] | |||||
| 8 | Cha-cha-cha | "Rhythm Nation" —Janet Jackson | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 35 | Safe |
| Foxtrot Dance-off | "Again" —Janet Jackson | Loser | 0[d] | |||||
| 9 (Semifinals) | Tango | "Telephone" — Martynas | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 37 | Safe |
| Jazz | "Dark Fantasy" —Kanye West | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 38 | ||
| 10 (Finals) | Cha-cha-cha &FoxtrotFusion | "September" —Earth, Wind & Fire | 10 | 10 | 10[e] | 10 | 40 | Winners |
| Freestyle | "Lose Control" —Missy Elliott, feat.Ciara &Fat Man Scoop & "Bounce" — DJ Clent | 10 | 10 | 10[e] | 10 | 40 | ||
Celebrity partner:Joseph Baena
Average score: 28.3/40
| Week | Dance | Music | Judges' scores[a] | Total score | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jive | "Pump It" —Black Eyed Peas | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 23 | Safe |
| 2[b] | Viennese waltz | "If I Can Dream" —Elvis Presley | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 24 | Safe |
| 3[b] | Argentine tango | "Writing's on the Wall" (fromSpectre) | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 29 | Safe |
| 4 | Charleston | "A Star Is Born"(fromHercules) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 | Safe |
| 5 | Rumba | "My Way" —Frank Sinatra | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 34 | Safe |
| Cha-cha-cha | "Shut Up and Dance" —Walk the Moon | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 32 | Eliminated | |
| Hustle &Lindy Hop Marathon | "Hot Stuff" —Donna Summer & "Jump, Jive an' Wail" —The Brian Setzer Orchestra | N/a | 4[c] | |||||
Celebrity partner:Jason Mraz
Average score: 26.6/30
Celebrity partner:Dwight Howard
Average score: 23/30
| Week | Dance | Music | Judges' scores[a] | Total score | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salsa | "This Is How We Do It" —Montell Jordan | 8 | 7 | 7 | 22 | Safe |
| 2 | Foxtrot | "City of Stars"(fromLa La Land) | 8 | 7 | 7 | 22 | Safe |
| 3 | Cha-cha-cha | "Let's Groove" —Earth, Wind & Fire | 6 | 5 | 6 | 23[b] | Safe |
| Paso doble | "Walk This Way" —Aerosmith | 8 | 7 | 7 | 29[c] | ||
| 4 | Rumba | "Shoot for the Stars" —Dwight Howard | 7 | 8 | 7 | 29[d] | Safe |
| 5 | Tango | "When Can I See You Again?" (fromWreck-It Ralph) | 8 | 8 | 8 | 48 | Safe |
| TeamFreestyle | "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" (fromThe Lion King) | 8 | 8 | 8 | |||
| 6 | Contemporary | "Ring Around the Rosie" — District 78 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 28 | Safe |
| Cha-cha-cha Dance-off | "Ghostbusters" —Ray Parker Jr. | +3 | 3[e] | ||||
| 7 (Quarterfinals) | Argentine tango | "Santa María (del Buen Ayre)" —Gotan Project | 8 | 9 | 9 | 48 | Eliminated |
| InstantPaso doble | "Victorious" —Panic! at the Disco | 8 | 7 | 7 | |||
Celebrity partner:Dylan Efron
Average score: 25.9/30
Notes
Karagach was introduced to Russian professional dancerPasha Pashkov through their respective coaches; she was 16 years old at the time, and he was 22.[21] They began dating amidst their training shortly after Karagach turned 18, in 2010.[22][23] Pashkov proposed on January 1, 2012, and they were married on July 18, 2014.[22] They launched an online dance program in 2020 to prepare engaged couples for theirfirst dance.[24][25] On July 19, 2025, to commemorate their eleventh wedding anniversary, Karagach and Pashkovrenewed their vows inCabo San Lucas,Mexico.[26]
After learning that she was pregnant in July 2022, Karagach suffered amiscarriage atfive weeks gestation.[27][28] Four months later, she and Pashkov announced that they were expecting arainbow baby.[29] Their daughter, Nikita Sofia Pashkova, was born on May 30, 2023.[30][31]
| Award | Year[a] | Recipient(s) | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | 2022 | Karagach | Outstanding Choreography(for "I Got 5 on It" / "Dark Fantasy" ) | Nominated | [32] |
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Dancing with the Stars (US) winner Season 30 (Fall 2021 withIman Shumpert) | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Dancing with the Stars (US) runner-up Season 32 (Fall 2023 withJason Mraz) | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Dancing with the Stars (US) third place contestant Season 29 (Fall 2020 withNelly) | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Dancing with the Stars (US) fourth place contestant Season 34 (Fall 2025 withDylan Efron) | Succeeded by |
