# Daniella Karagach

Daniella Brittany Karagach Pashkova (née Karagach; born December 26, 1992) is an American professional Latin and ballroom dancer and choreographer. She began her career in dancesport and rose to prominence as a contestant on the second season of World of Dance with her husband, Pasha Pashkov.
Karagach continued her competitive dancing career by joining Dancing with the Stars in September 2019. She won her second season with basketball player Iman Shumpert and received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography.

## Early life

Daniella Brittany Karagach was born on December 26, 1992, in Brooklyn, New York, to Moldovan Jewish immigrants Mark and Regina Yvette Karagach (née Gershkovich). Her parents divorced one year after her birth. She was primarily raised as an only child by her mother in the Forest Hills and Bath Beach neighborhoods of New York; until her mother married her stepfather and she gained a stepsister. She moved to South Beach, Staten Island when she grew older.
Karagach began taking ballet lessons at the age of three, and by age seven was taking Latin dance classes. She had trouble focusing in school and was diagnosed with a "very high" case of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) when she was six years old. Her mother refused to give her prescribed medication due to her age and instead enrolled her in ballroom dance classes, which helped her focus and improve her academic performance. After graduating from Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School, Karagach studied childhood education at the College of Staten Island.

## Career

Karagach formed a dance partnership with Leonid Juashkovsky and began her career in dancesport when she was eleven years old. Together, they became three-time USA Dance Junior I and II Latin Champions; represented the U.S. at the IDSF World Championships in Latvia, Russia, and Barcelona; and appeared in the second and third seasons of the competition series America's Ballroom Challenge.
In January 2009, Karagach paired with Pavel "Pasha" Pashkov. They were selected to represent the U.S. at the 2009 World Games in Taiwan 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. They also won the Rising Star Professional Championship at the 2017 Blackpool Dance Festival and the 2018 U.S. Latin American Showdance Championship. On television, they competed on the second season of World of Dance (2018) and choreographed for So You Think You Can Dance (2022).

### Dancing with the Stars

Karagach joined the reality competition series Dancing with the Stars as a professional dancer for season 28; although she did not have a celebrity partner. For season 29, Karagach was paired with rapper and singer Nelly. They made it to the finals and placed third on November 23, 2020.
On the 30th season of Dancing with the Stars, Karagach was paired with basketball player Iman Shumpert. Despite a shaky beginning, the couple won the competition on November 22, 2021, making Shumpert the first NBA player to both make the finale and win. Karagach and Shumpert's contemporary piece to "I Got 5 on It (Tethered Mix)" was hailed by critics and viewers as one of the best dances in the series' history. For her work on the season, Karagach received her first nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography.
On the 31st season of Dancing with the Stars, Karagach was paired with actor and bodybuilder Joseph Baena. Karagach was unable to compete for the second and third weeks after testing positive for COVID-19; she was temporarily replaced by troupe member Alexis Warr. Karagach and Baena were eliminated on October 18, 2022, finishing in 11th place; Karagach's lowest placement to date.
For season 32, Karagach was paired with singer-songwriter Jason Mraz. They made it to the finals and finished as the runners-up on December 5, 2023, behind actress Xochitl Gomez and Val Chmerkovskiy.
For season 33, Karagach was paired with basketball player Dwight Howard. They were eliminated during the quarterfinals on November 12, 2024, finishing in 6th place.
| Season | Partner | Place |
| 29 | Nelly | 3rd |
| 30 | Iman Shumpert | 1st |
| 31 | Joseph Baena | 11th |
| 32 | Jason Mraz | 2nd |
| 33 | Dwight Howard | 6th |

#### Season 29

Celebrity partner: Nelly Average score: 23.5/30
| Week | Dance | Music | Judges' scores | Judges' scores | Judges' scores | 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" (from Soul) | 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 |
| 8 | Cha-cha-cha (Dance relay) | "Rain on Me" — Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande | — | — | — | 2 | Safe |
| 9 | Jazz | "California Love" — Tupac, feat. Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman | 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 | Safe |
| 9 | Salsa (Dance-off) | "The Cup of Life" — Ricky Martin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Safe |
| 10 (Semifinals) | Paso doble | "Run Boy Run" — Woodkid | 9 | 8 | 9 | 26 | Safe |
| 10 (Semifinals) | Jive | Jump, Jive an' Wail — The Brian Setzer Orchestra | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 | Safe |
| 11 (Finals) | Samba | "Rhythm of the Night" — DeBarge | 9 | 9 | 9 | 27 | Third place |
| 11 (Finals) | Freestyle | "Savage" — Megan Thee Stallion & "Hypnotize" — The Notorious B.I.G. | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 | Third place |

##### Notes

* ↑ Individual judges' scores are listed in the following order: Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, Bruno Tonioli.
* ↑ Nelly and Daniella received two bonus points in this dance relay.
* ↑ Nelly and Daniella received zero bonus points for losing this dance-off.

#### Season 30

Celebrity partner: Iman Shumpert Average score: 32.6/40
| Week | Dance | Music | Judges' scores | Judges' scores | Judges' scores | Judges' scores | 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 | — | 6 | 19 | Safe |
| 4 | Foxtrot | "Let It Go" (from Frozen) | 8 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 30 | Safe |
| 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)" (from Us) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 40 | Safe |
| 7 | Paso doble | "Another One Bites the Dust" — Queen" | 9 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 32 | Safe |
| 7 | Jive (Dance relay) | "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" — Queen" | — | — | — | — | 2 | Safe |
| 8 | Cha-cha-cha | "Rhythm Nation" — Janet Jackson | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 35 | Safe |
| 8 | Foxtrot (Dance-off) | "Again" — Janet Jackson | Loser | Loser | Loser | Loser | 0 | Safe |
| 9 (Semifinals) | Tango | "Telephone" — Martynas | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 37 | Safe |
| 9 (Semifinals) | Jazz | "Dark Fantasy" — Kanye West | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 38 | Safe |
| 10 (Finals) | Cha-cha-cha & Foxtrot (Fusion) | "September" — Earth, Wind & Fire | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 40 | Winners |
| 10 (Finals) | Freestyle | "Lose Control" — Missy Elliott, feat. Ciara & Fat Man Scoop & "Bounce" — DJ Clent | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 40 | Winners |

##### Notes

* ↑ Individual judges' scores are listed in the following order: Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, Derek Hough, Bruno Tonioli.
* ↑ Derek Hough was absent this week out of an "abundance of caution" after he had a "possible" exposure to COVID-19.
* ↑ Iman and Daniella received two bonus points from Carrie Ann Inaba and Derek Hough in this dance relay.
* ↑ Iman and Daniella received zero bonus points for losing this dance-off.
* 1 2 This score was given by Julianne Hough after her brother, Derek, was diagnosed with COVID-19.

#### Season 31

Celebrity partner: Joseph Baena Average score: 28.3/40
| Week | Dance | Music | Judges' scores | Judges' scores | Judges' scores | Judges' scores | Total score | Result |
| 1 | Jive | "Pump It" — Black Eyed Peas | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 23 | Safe |
| 2 | Viennese waltz | "If I Can Dream" — Elvis Presley | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 24 | Safe |
| 3 | Argentine tango | "Writing's on the Wall" (from Spectre) | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 29 | Safe |
| 4 | Charleston | "A Star Is Born" (from Hercules) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 | Safe |
| 5 | Rumba | "My Way" — Frank Sinatra | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 34 | Safe |
| 5 | Cha-cha-cha | "Shut Up and Dance" — Walk the Moon | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 32 | Eliminated |
| 5 | Hustle & Lindy Hop Marathon | "Hot Stuff" — Donna Summer & "Jump, Jive an' Wail" — The Brian Setzer Orchestra | — | — | — | — | 4 | Eliminated |

##### Notes

* ↑ Individual judges' scores are listed in the following order: Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, Derek Hough, Bruno Tonioli.
* 1 2 Daniella did not perform this week because she was diagnosed with COVID-19. She was replaced by Alexis Warr.
* ↑ Joseph and Daniella received four bonus points in this dance marathon.

#### Season 32

Celebrity partner: Jason Mraz Average score: 26.6/30
| Week | Dance | Music | Judges' scores | Judges' scores | Judges' scores | Total score | Result |
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha | "I Feel Like Dancing" — Jason Mraz | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | Safe |
| 2 | Rumba | "Quizás, Quizás, Quizás" — Andrea Bocelli, feat. Jennifer Lopez | 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 | Safe |
| 3 | Jive | "Do You Love Me" — The Contours | 9 | 8 | 8 | 34 | Safe |
| 4 | Foxtrot | "A Whole New World" (from Aladdin) | 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 | Safe |
| 5 | Quickstep | "On the Road Again" — Willie Nelson | 9 | 9 | 9 | 27 | Safe |
| 6 | Contemporary | "Zombie" — The Cranberries | 9 | 9 | 9 | 36 | Safe |
| 6 | Hustle & Charleston Marathon | "Stayin' Alive" — Bee Gees & "Grim Grinning Ghosts" — Kris Bowers | — | — | — | 3 | Safe |
| 7 | Jazz | "Take On Me" — a-ha | 8 | 8 | 9 | 72 | Safe |
| 7 | Freestyle (Team 4 Everybody) | "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" — Backstreet Boys | 9 | 9 | 9 | 72 | Safe |
| 8 | Samba | "Higher Love" — Kygo & Whitney Houston | 8 | 9 | 8 | 33 | Safe |
| 8 | Salsa (Dance-off) | "It's Not Right but It's Okay" — Whitney Houston | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Safe |
| 9 | Argentine tango | "Don't Blame Me" — Taylor Swift | 10 | 10 | 10 | 40 | Safe |
| 9 | Cha-cha-cha (Dance relay) | "Lavender Haze (Felix Jaehn Remix)" — Taylor Swift | +3 | +3 | +3 | 3 | Safe |
| 10 (Semifinals) | Viennese waltz | "I Won't Give Up" — Jason Mraz | 9 | 9 | 9 | 57 | Safe |
| 10 (Semifinals) | Paso doble | "Diablo Rojo" — Rodrigo y Gabriela | 10 | 10 | 10 | 57 | Safe |
| 11 (Finals) | Foxtrot | "Fly Me to the Moon" — Frank Sinatra | 10 | 10 | 10 | 60 | Runners-up |
| 11 (Finals) | Freestyle | "Happy" — C2C, feat. Derek Martin | 10 | 10 | 10 | 60 | Runners-up |

##### Notes

* ↑ Individual judges' scores are listed in the following order: Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, Bruno Tonioli.
* ↑ Jason and Daniella also received a score of 9 from guest judge Michael Strahan.
* ↑ Jason and Daniella also received a score of 9 from guest judge Niecy Nash-Betts.
* ↑ Jason and Daniella received three bonus points in this dance marathon.
* ↑ Jason and Daniella also received a score of 10 from guest judge Paula Abdul.
* ↑ This team also received a score of 10 from guest judge Paula Abdul.
* ↑ Jason and Daniella also received a score of 8 from guest judge Billy Porter.
* ↑ Jason and Daniella received zero bonus points for losing this dance-off.
* ↑ Jason and Daniella also received a score of 10 from guest judge Mandy Moore.
* ↑ Jason and Daniella also received three bonus points for winning this dance relay.

#### Season 33

Celebrity partner: Dwight Howard
| Week | Dance | Music | Judges' scores | Judges' scores | Judges' scores | Total score | Result |
| 1 | Salsa | "This Is How We Do It" — Montell Jordan | 8 | 7 | 7 | 22 | Safe |
| 2 | Foxtrot | "City of Stars" (from La La Land) | 8 | 7 | 7 | 22 | Safe |
| 3 | Cha-cha-cha | "Let's Groove" — Earth, Wind & Fire | 6 | 5 | 6 | 23 | Safe |
| 3 | Paso doble | "Walk This Way" — Aerosmith | 8 | 7 | 7 | 29 | Safe |
| 4 | Rumba | "Shoot for the Stars" — Dwight Howard | 7 | 8 | 7 | 29 | Safe |
| 5 | Tango | "When Can I See You Again?" (from Wreck-It Ralph) | 8 | 8 | 8 | 48 | Safe |
| 5 | Freestyle (Team Roar) | "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" (from The Lion King) | 8 | 8 | 8 | 48 | Safe |
| 6 | Contemporary | "Ring Around the Rosie" — District 78 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 28 | Safe |
| 6 | Cha-cha-cha (Dance-off) | "Ghostbusters" — Ray Parker Jr. | +3 | +3 | +3 | 3 | Safe |
| 7 (Quarterfinals) | Argentine tango | "Santa María (del Buen Ayre)" — Gotan Project | 8 | 9 | 9 | 48 | Eliminated during 500th episode |
| 7 (Quarterfinals) | Paso doble (Instant Dance) | "Victorious" — Panic! at the Disco | 8 | 7 | 7 | 48 | Eliminated during 500th episode |

##### Notes

* ↑ Individual judges' scores are listed in the following order: Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, Bruno Tonioli.
* ↑ Dwight and Daniella also received a score of 6 from guest judge Rosie Perez.
* ↑ Dwight and Daniella also received a score of 7 from guest judge Gene Simmons.
* ↑ Dwight and Daniella also received a score of 7 from guest judge Mark Ballas.
* ↑ Dwight and Daniella received three bonus points for winning this dance-off.

## Personal life

Karagach was introduced to Russian professional dancer Pasha Pashkov through their respective coaches; she was 15 years old at the time, and he was 22. They began dating amidst their training shortly after Karagach turned 16. Pashkov proposed on January 1, 2012, and they were married on July 18, 2014. In 2020, the couple launched a first dance preparation school for engaged couples.
After learning that she was pregnant in July 2022, Karagach suffered a miscarriage at five weeks gestation. Four months later, she and Pashkov announced that they were expecting a rainbow baby. Their daughter, Nikita Sofia Pashkova, was born on May 30, 2023.